How To
Make Waiting Time More Enjoyable For
Your Patients If not enjoyable, at least more tolerable by Susan Keane Baker
Waiting takes time.
Time is money. While everyone can get more
money, no one gets more time. Therefore,
when your patients have to wait, make the
experience as pleasant as possible:
Provide reception
activities such as: A minimum of eight
different magazines, reflecting the interests
of your patients. Crossword puzzle pads.
Etch-a-sketches. Stationery & stamps for
writing letters. A telephone for local
calls.
Offer a library of consumer health books,
with reviewer notes - reviewers being
folks from your department or practice.
A local bookstore may provide the library
for you in exchange for having the store's
business cards and a sign saying that
any of the books can be ordered by phone.
Provide reception distractions, such
as: Art exhibits by children. "Words of
wisdom" exhibits by older Americans. A
bird feeder outside a window. Headphones
and relaxation tapes. An aquarium. Individual,
comfortable seating. Rocking chairs.
A gallery of positive patient comments
- have glass cut to fit over your tables
and insert the comments between the table
and the glass. Be sure to obtain patient
permission first!
A "wall of honor" of staff members with
their comments about what they like to
do in their spare time; why they came
to work at this organization, etc.
Frustration can increase if patients
see staff members taking care of "non-patient"
tasks rather than taking care of them.
If possible, charting should be done during
the patient encounter, rather than after
the visit. This increases the amount of
time spent with the patient. Indirect
care responsibilities, such as charting
and telephone calls, should be done out
of the view of waiting patients if at
all possible.
Even if patients have waited during
prior visits, a sincere apology for a
wait is helpful when employees are perceived
to be doing everything they can to be
responsive to the patient quickly. On
the other hand, an insincere apology,
or one that is routinely given as if giving
it will excuse the wait, can increase
a patient's anger about waiting.
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