Abstract
Background
Wait times and patient satisfaction are important administrative metrics in emergency
departments (EDs), as they are critical to return patronage, liability, and remuneration.
Although several factors have been shown to impact patient satisfaction, little attention
has been paid to understanding the psychology of waiting and patient satisfaction.
Objective
We utilize concepts that have been applied in other service industries to conceptualize
factors that impact patient satisfaction. We focus on wait times, a key factor in
patient satisfaction, and describe how these concepts can be applied in research and
daily practice.
Discussion
Patient satisfaction can be conceptualized as the difference between a patient’s perceptions
and their expectations. Perception is the psychological process by which an individual
understands and interprets sensory information. Changes in the wait experience can
decrease the perceived wait times without a change in actual wait times. Other changes
such as improved staff interpersonal and communication skills that provide patients
with an increased sense of the staff’s dedication as well as a greater understanding
of their care, can also affect patient perceptions of their care quality. These changes
in patient perception can synergize with more expensive investments such as state-of-the-art
facilities and increased ED beds to magnify their impact on patient satisfaction.
Expectation is the level of service a patient believes they will receive during their
ED visit. Patients arrive with expectations around the component of their care such
as wait times, needed diagnostic tests, and overall time in the ED. These expectations
are affected by individual-specific, pre-encounter, and intra-encounter factors. When
these factors are identified and understood, they can be managed during the care process
to improve patient satisfaction.
Conclusion
Interventions to decrease perception of wait times and increase the perception of
service being provided, when combined with management of patient expectations, can
improve patient satisfaction.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 28, 2011
Accepted:
January 2,
2011
Received in revised form:
July 18,
2010
Received:
March 15,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
