Is It Worth the Wait? Patient Perceptions of Wait Time at a Primary Care Clinic

Abstract

Background and Objectives: A patient’s wait to see a provider before scheduled appointments may impact their experience at the primary care clinic. This survey study examined how long patients are willing to wait, where they prefer to wait, and whether punctual care in the clinic may be more prioritized than quality care. Methods: We disseminated a survey in the waiting room of an urban adult primary care office to assess patient perceptions and evaluate the importance of punctuality. We completed subgroup analyses to examine any differences by age and gender in patient expectations and values. Results: The survey was completed by 180 respondents (92% response rate). Patients report they can wait up to 20 minutes (95% CI 19.1-22.0) before seeing their provider. A subgroup analysis determined that age alone cannot be used as a screening tool to identify patients who require the most punctual care. Women expressed a more explicit preference for quality rather than punctuality compared to men (P=.0017). Conclusions: Results suggest that patients are unwilling to forego quality care for punctuality alone. Our findings may help providers better understand patient perceptions of waiting at a primary care clinic.