The Influence of Wait Time on Patient Satisfaction in the Orthopedic Clinic

INTRODUCTION: Patient satisfaction is of increasing importance in the delivery of quality healthcare and may influence provider reimbursement. The purpose of this study is to examine how patient wait time relates to their level of satisfaction and likelihood to recommend an orthopedic clinic to others. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on standardized new patient survey data collected at a single orthopedic clinic from June 2011 through October 2014. RESULTS: A total of 3125 and 3151 responses were collected for satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the practice. The mean wait time was 27.3 ± 11.3 minutes. The likelihood of obtaining an “excellent” (odds ratio [OR]: 0.86, P = .01081) or “excellent/very good” (OR: 0.82, P = .0199) satisfaction demonstrated significant correlation with wait time in 15-minute intervals. The likelihood of obtaining an “agree” (OR: 0.9, P = .10575) and “strongly agree/agree” (OR: 0.85, P = .139) response to recommend the practice demonstrated no correlation during the same interval. CONCLUSION: Minimizing wait times in the orthopedic clinic may improve patient satisfaction but may not affect their likelihood of recommending the practice to others.