The true penalty of the waiting room: the role of wait time in patient satisfaction in a busy spine practice

Abstract

OBJECTIVEMost clinics collect routine data on performance metrics on physicians for outpatient visits. However, the relationship of these metrics with patient experience is unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationships between the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician and Group Survey (CG-CAHPS), the standard patient experience survey, and clinic performance metrics to understand the determinants of patient satisfaction and identify targets for improving patient experience.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective single-institution cohort review of spine surgeon metrics over 15 months including demographics, waiting-room times, in-room times, lead times, timely note closure, timely MyChart responses, and monthly patient volume. Kruskal-Wallis tests and mixed-model regression were used to determine the predictors of 3 domains of patient satisfaction—Global, Access, and Communication.RESULTSOver 15 months, 22 surgeons conducted 27,090 visits. The average clinic visit total time was 85.17 ± 25.75 minutes. Increased wait times were associated with poor Global (p = 0.008), Access (p < 0.001), and Communication scores (p = 0.003) in univariate analysis. Every 10-minute increase in waiting time was associated with a 3%, 9.8%, and 2.4% decrease in Global, Access, and Communication scores, respectively. Increased in-room time was also an independent predictor of poor Access scores (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, increased wait times were negative predictors of Global (p = 0.005), Access (p < 0.001), and Communication (p = 0.002) scores.CONCLUSIONSExcessive waiting-room time significantly impacts unexpected dimensions of the patient experience and impacts communication with patients. Understanding the complex relationship between the factors that inform the patient experience will help target effective interventions to improve clinic efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Using a human-centered, mixed methods approach to understand the patient waiting experience and its impact on medically underserved populations

“…Patient wait times are an important indicator of healthcare service delivery, as long wait times have been shown to negatively impact access to care and patient satisfaction [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. In particular, patients from medically underserved populations not only have a higher burden of disease but also experience longer wait times [1,8,9].…”

Sustained Improvement in Patient Experience by Optimizing Patient Flow in Ambulatory Settings

“…Various studies have reported interventions aimed at patient access, care providers, and improving wait times in ambulatory settings to improve patient experience (3,(6)(7)(8). Prolonged wait time in the clinic is often a source of frustration for patients and can significantly impact patient experience scores negatively on surveys (9)(10)(11). We report our experience of optimizing patient flow in clinic resulting in sustained improvement in patient experience scores related to a visit in a busy clinic over 5 years.…”

Using a Human-Centered, Mixed Methods Approach to Understand the Patient Waiting Experience and Its Impact on Vulnerable Populations

“…Patient wait times are an important indicator of healthcare service delivery, as long wait times have been shown to negatively impact access to care and patient satisfaction [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . In particular, patients from underserved and vulnerable populations not only have a higher burden of disease but also experience longer wait times 1,8,9 , which further exacerbates their medical conditions and outcomes.…”