MICROLEARNING LIBRARY  

How to Handle Wait Times

How patients feel about waiting, how long before they feel frustrated, and what's the best thing we can do about it. 
   7 min, 43 seconds
   Adapted from the Weekly Microlearning Series (Week 101)
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 DATA 

Studies show us how patients view waiting:

97%

feel frustrated about having to wait too long before seeing their doctor(1)

74%

say that they start feeling frustrated between 16-35 minutes into their wait(2)

84%

feel wait times are important in their overall experience(3)

30%

have left a doctor’s appointment because of a long wait(4)

63%

say they would switch doctors if they had to consistently wait too long for their appointments(5)

83%

say simply being told what to expect reduces frustration(6)
 Real Help 

Solve these 'people problems'

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For upSKILLers:

  • Patients are becoming frustrated, anxious, or irritated during long waits and taking it out on you
  • Feeling awkward or uncomfortable addressing delays because you do not know what to say
  • Patients feel forgotten, ignored, or unimportant while waiting in the lobby or exam room
  • Remembering that patients usually handle waiting much better when they feel informed, acknowledged, and cared about
  • Turning long wait times into calmer, smoother patient experiences through communication instead of avoidance

For Leaders:

  • Patients quietly lose trust or satisfaction because long waits are not acknowledged well
  • Team members avoid communication during delays because they fear upsetting patients or making things worse
  • Long wait times are creating tension, complaints, negative reviews, or patients leaving appointments altogether
  • Team members apologize in ways that accidentally make the practice seem disorganized or chaotic
  • Helping team members confidently communicate delays while still projecting professionalism, calmness, and competence
  • Creating a patient experience where people feel informed, valued, and cared for, even when schedules run behind
 Data 

It's science

Research shows that 97% of patients feel frustrated by long waits, 84% say wait time affects their overall experience, and 63% say they would switch providers if it keeps happening.(7)
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Wait time is not just an inconvenience to patients; it directly shapes trust, satisfaction, loyalty, and how they perceive the quality of care.
Studies on uncertainty and stress found that fear of the unknown increases anxiety, emotional sensitivity, and negative thinking.(8)
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When patients are left waiting without updates or expectations, their brains naturally start filling in the blanks with negative assumptions.
The Healthcare Reputation Report found that 83% of patients say communication during delays reduces frustration.(9)
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Patients do not need perfection nearly as much as they need acknowledgment, clear expectations, and reassurance that they have not been forgotten.

A Note From The Experts

You asked us to cover this scenario, so let's go! It's something that plagues all of us. Some occasionally. Some constantly. The dreaded patient wait time. Waiting in the lobby, sub-wait, exam room, surgery center... you get it: any time a patient is just sitting there... waiting.   
It's not as much about the wait time, as it is how they feel while they're waiting."
Christine & Lauren
The Patient Whisperers

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This is adapted from Weekly: Mastering Soft Skills

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 WHO 

Meet the experts

The Patient Whisperers
Christine Scarlett
& Lauren Weaver
Former practice leaders leading change by bringing relational intelligence, soft skills + emotional connection into healthcare as authors, speakers, and upSKILL instructors. 
Get to know them here or connect on social media:
Christine Scarlett
Former CMO
& Director of Patient Experience
From counseling patients, to Director of Patient Experience, to CMO, Christine's worn nearly every 'hat' in a healthcare practice. The driving force? Her love for people... creating exceptional patient experiences and empowering those who serve them.
Lauren Weaver
Former
Director of Brand Development
Bringing her PR, branding, social media influencer status, and love of storytelling with her, Lauren turned how we market and build a brand for ourselves in healthcare upside down by redefining how we connect with our patients, both in practice and online.
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(1) Physicians Practice, (2) SoftwareAdvice Patient Experience Survey, (3) Fierce Healthcare, (4) BusinessWire, (5) NRC Health, (6) Healthcare Reputation Report, (7) Vitals Patient Wait Time Report; Software Advice Patient Scheduling Survey. (8) LeBlanc, V. R. (2009). “The Effects of Acute Stress on Performance.” The International Journal of Emergency Medicine. (9) Healthcare Reputation Report, Patient Communication Findings.