A study in the Journal of Patient Experience found that short wait times increased patient satisfaction — but did not impact whether the patient would recommend the practice.
The researchers collected 3,125 responses concerning patient satisfaction and 3,151 responses concerning patient likelihood to recommend the practice at a single outpatient orthopedic clinic to determine how wait time related to these characteristics.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The mean wait time at the clinic was 27.3 minutes.
2. Likelihood of obtaining an "excellent" or "excellent/very good" level of satisfaction was significantly correlated with wait time in 15-minute intervals.
3. Likelihood of obtaining an "agree" or "strongly agree/agree" response to whether the patient would recommend the practice was not correlated with wait time.
Since patient satisfaction may influence provider reimbursement, the researchers conclude that minimizing wait times may be an effective way to improve patient experience in an outpatient orthopedic clinic.