How much are long patient wait times costing you?

Building and keeping patient loyalty is major concern for healthcare providers. Over their lifetime an individual healthcare consumer spends on average $1.4 million and a family of four about $4.3 million.[i]

Accenture noted in a 2013 report that 7 percent of customers switched healthcare providers due to subpar experiences, with an estimated annual revenue loss of $100 million per hospital.[ii] As healthcare becomes more "consumerized" that number will only increase, unless patients feel they’re getting a sufficient return on experience (ROE).

Through a Patient’s Eyes

I recently changed my ACA health plan -- again (what can I say, I live my work). However, despite all my changes I’d always managed to keep my primary care provider. Unfortunately, this time, she wasn’t on my new plan and I was desperate. I needed a referral.

So, I went online to find someone in-network with good reviews (yes, they really do matter). Being a somewhat savvy patient, I booked the first appointment of the day to avoid a long wait at what I'd hoped would be my new medical home. 

When I arrived, the first person I met was a grumpy security guard who told me that they weren’t ready yet and I couldn’t go up. As you can imagine, this poorly-related news didn’t go over well, particularly since they told me to arrive early. When I was finally “allowed” up twenty minutes later, I was almost as grumpy as the guard. 

Forty-five minutes later, my name was called and I was taken to a room. The nurse entered a few minutes later and I was hopeful that my long wait had finally come to an end. Another twenty minutes later I was greeted by a resident who took a very thorough (read slow) history. After losing more than two hours of my life that I can never get back, I left with a referral in hand, no real apology for the excessive wait and, the knowledge that I would never, ever go back to that office.

Long waits are sometimes inevitable, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be well-managed. A simple mix of digital technology and a bit human kindness (every point of contact matters, particularly the unpleasant ones) can make all the difference. To address this, many healthcare providers have begun to use a variety of digital health communication tools to improve the patient experience, like:

-   Texting patients if there’s a delay (similar to airline systems), letting them choose how they spend their wait time

-   Alerting patients when the doctor is ready (like restaurants do when your table is ready) to avoid additional delays; and

-   Providing updates on the process, so patients know what to expect , e.g. the nurse will be in, in 5 minutes to do your blood work, etc.

While improved communication may not solve the issue of long wait times, it can make for a better experience by addressing the human desire for greater control and the avoidance of uncertainty.[iii]  For some, uncertainty has been shown to be more stressful than predictable, yet negative events. 

No matter what method(s) you choose, in the end your patients will appreciate the transparency and increased agency over their time.

Summary:

?  The average lifetime value of an individual healthcare consumer is $1.4 million and $4.3 million for an average family of four

?  Sub-par experiences can have significant costs to a hospital -- over $100 Million annually

?  Long wait times can leave patients feeling under-valued and uncared for, negatively impacting their satisfaction levels and related HCAHP scores

?  Text notifications indicating delays and phone alerts letting patients know when the doctor is ready can reduce wait times and related stress, increasing patient satisfaction

?  Investments in technology demonstrate you value your patients and their time, and can increase their ROE and loyalty.

[i] https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/population-health/the-real-reason-loyalty-lacks-in-healthcare.html

[ii] https://nrchealth.com/resource/real-reason-loyalty-lacks-healthcare/

[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/04/uncertainty-stressful-research-neuroscience