Time spent in a care provider's office can be divided into a
number of distinct segments. First, the patient spends time in a "waiting
room." Second, they are placed in a queue to be brought back to the "exam
room," where, after some initial screening, the patient awaits the arrival of
the primary healthcare provider, usually a physician. The third segment is the
examination and consultation. From the patient's perspective, the first 2
segments should be minimized, and the final segment—time spent with the
physician—maximized.
This article analyzes the impact of waiting time on patient
satisfaction scores; not only of satisfaction with the provider in general, but
also with the specific perception of the quality of care and provider's
abilities.
If you would like to find out how Expeditor could help you achieve your Patient Satisfaction goals through LEAN thinking, take a moment to fill out the Contact Us form on our website and one of our Consultants will be in touch.
