Wait Times in Musculoskeletal Patients: What Contributes to Patient Satisfaction

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine how wait time duration is associated with patient satisfaction and how appointment characteristics relate to wait time duration and patient satisfaction in the orthopedic surgery clinic. METHODS: Two hundred sixty-four patients visiting one of 3 ambulatory orthopedic surgery clinics were asked to estimate their wait time and to rate their satisfaction with the visit. The associations between appointment characteristics, wait time, and satisfaction were analyzed using t tests, 1-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Wait times were significantly different based on visit type, appointment time, whether an X-ray was required, and whether a trainee was involved (P < .001). Patients with wait times less than 30 minutes had higher satisfaction scores (P < .001). Satisfaction ratings were significantly different based on the surgeon’s management recommendation (P = .0211), but were not significantly different based on sex, age, office location, visit type, appointment time subsection, or time spent with the physician (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Wait times negatively correlated with satisfaction. New patient visits, appointment times in the later third of the day, appointments requiring an X-ray, and appointments involving a trainee had significantly longer wait times. Care should be taken to inform patients with visits involving these characteristics that they may experience longer than average wait times.