Improve Patient Satisfaction by Learning from Restaurants

Patients usually rate providers in relation to some standard, namely their expectations. Therefore managing those expectations can be a critical way to improve patient perception and thus, patient ratings.

Some hospitals are managing patient expectations by posting their ER wait times online. Much like popular restaurants who tell patrons upon arrival how long they should expect to wait for a table.

Why would this work? Picture the alternative. Can you imagine waiting for a table not knowing how long you'll be there? The second-guessing at each seemingly eternal, passing minute ("should I have gone to a different restaurant? I've already waited this long, I might as well stay. But what if it's another hour? What if they call my name right after I leave and I'm starting over and stuck waiting at another restaurant for a table?!") All the while, other people with reservations (or as in the case of the ER, more serious conditions) walk right by you and are seated right away. You can't help but wonder..."did they forget about me?" And then you become irate. Suddenly you begin to look forward to completing the customer satisfaction survey you know you'll get when this is all over. This is what patients in waiting rooms go through every day.

Sounds like a nightmare doesn't it? Restaurants know that if a patron knows in advance that she will be waiting 30 minutes for a table, she will be less likely to complain about that wait. It's all about managing expectations. Start managing your patients' expectations by letting them know when you're behind schedule and give them an approximate wait time. Make sure you under-promise and over-deliver!