Are your patients patiently waiting? What to do about patient wait times.

Patient wait times are inevitable, but their reduction or elimination is an important marketing tool. Patients feel increased time demands, and if the wait is too long, they may not come back. However, if wait times are reasonable and handed well, patients are more likely to have a positive perception of services and return to the practice. In this article, the authors review the reality of wait times in medical practices today, sources of patient dissatisfaction with wait times, the treatment patients want while waiting, and a checklist of steps to reduce wait times.