Managing waiting patients' perceptions: the role of process control.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Urgent Care Services

Background:

• Patient satisfaction and perceptions of fairness are critical in healthcare delivery.
• Urgent care departments face challenges in managing patient flow and expectations.
• Understanding patient perspectives on process control can improve service quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of patient involvement in triage on fairness perceptions.
• To assess how communication of wait times and patient engagement during waiting influence satisfaction.
• To provide actionable insights for optimizing patient waiting processes in urgent care.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 195 patients in a UK hospital's urgent care department.
• Examined the effects of patient voice in triage, information on expected waiting time, and engagement during waiting.
• Measured patient perceptions of fairness and satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Patients feeling involved in triage reported higher fairness and shorter perceived wait times.
• Informing patients about expected wait times and keeping them engaged increased satisfaction.
• Process control elements significantly influence patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Empowering patients in the triage process enhances their sense of fairness.
• Effective communication and engagement strategies during waiting periods are key to patient satisfaction.
• Hospital staff can improve patient experience by implementing these process control measures.