Reduce waiting time at the doctor: 6 practical tips for practices

Long waiting times at the doctor: Although this is annoying for patients, it is often normal. Around 30 minutes are considered justifiable. But when is it too long? What duties do doctors have towards their patients? How can practices reduce waiting times and relieve themselves at the same time? We answer this here because the fact is that waiting times that are too long can not only impair patient satisfaction, but also have a negative impact on practice staff, doctors and the efficiency of care.

Why is the waiting time at the doctor often longer?

The reasons for long waiting times at the doctor can be varied and depend on various factors. Here are the most common reasons:

1. Unforeseen emergencies: Sudden and unpredictable medical emergencies require immediate attention and may interrupt the doctor's normal schedule, causing delays for other patients.
   
2. Complexity of treatment: Some patients may need more extensive research or treatment than originally planned, which may result in longer consultations.
   
3. High patient demand: An excessive number of patients can result in an increased number of patients, which in turn leads to longer waiting times: Especially when the practice does not have enough staff or other resources to handle demand.
   
4. Closely scheduled scheduling: Scheduling too tight can lead to delays, particularly when individual appointments take longer than planned or when unexpected incidents occur.
   
5. Patients who do not show up on time: Patients who arrive late for their appointments or miss appointments without timely cancellations may result in idle time or force other patients to wait longer while the practice reschedules.
   
6. Technical or organizational issues: Problems with IT infrastructure, medical devices, or other organizational aspects can cause delays by disrupting practice.
   

In the course of this article, we will take a closer look at how doctors can remedy and optimize these causes. If you want to jump straight to this part, click here.

How much waiting time at the doctor is reasonable?

As mentioned briefly at the beginning: In general, waiting times of up to 30 minutes are still considered reasonable and appropriate. Patients must have this patience. Of course, it should be noted that the waiting time may vary depending on the type of visit to the doctor.

For example, waiting times for open consultations may be longer than for appointments, and emergencies may require immediate treatment, resulting in shorter or even no waiting times. Ultimately, an appropriate communications on the part of the medical practice to inform patients of possible delays and to ensure that their waiting time is as short as possible.

Which waiting time with the doctor is no longer reasonable?

It is difficult to set a general time that can be considered unacceptable, as the tolerance for waiting times varies from person to person and depends on various factors. In general, however, it can be said:

Waiting times of more than 60 minutes are considered unacceptable by most patients, particularly when no explanation or information has been provided by the practice. In some cases, longer waiting times can also result in patients canceling their appointment or leaving the practice altogether, which in turn harms the practice.

Waiting times at the doctor with & without an appointment

1. By appointment:
   
   • Waiting time of up to 15 minutes is often considered acceptable
   • Waiting times of between 15 and 30 minutes are still tolerated by many patients
   • Waiting times of over 30 minutes can be considered unpleasant and should be avoided, particularly if no adequate explanation is provided by practice
     
     
2. Without appointment (open office hours):
   
   • Waiting times can vary here, depending on how busy the practice is and how many acute emergencies need to be treated
   • In busy practices, waiting times of several hours can occur, especially when many patients show up without an appointment and require urgent medical treatment
   • Some practices could also have a “first-come-first-served” system, which may require patients to arrive early to secure a spot in line, which can result in longer wait times

Benefits for practices: Why should medical practices reduce waiting times?

Before we get to the specific tips on how practices can shorten waiting times for their patients, we would like to emphasize the following point: Many practices underestimate the benefits of reduced waiting times. We therefore briefly explain here why this can have enormous benefits not only for patients, but also for the financial success and efficiency of a practice:

1. Patient satisfaction: Long waiting times reduce satisfaction. A positive experience increases trust and motivates patients to seek medical care regularly.
   
2. efficiency: Shorter waiting times improve practice processes. Faster processing avoids schedule bottlenecks and reduces staff workload.
   
3. Patient Engagement: A practice-oriented waiting period promotes patient loyalty. Satisfied patients are more likely to return and recommend the practice to others.
   
4. Image and reputation: Short waiting times improve the image and reputation of the practice. A positive image attracts new patients and promotes practice growth.
   
5. Competitive advantage: In a highly competitive environment, short waiting times can be a decisive competitive advantage. Effective “wait management” sets practices apart from other providers and attracts patients.

For medical practices: How to reduce waiting time & become more efficient at the same time

1. Efficient scheduling

Efficient appointment planning is essential to reduce waiting times while ensuring that enough time is planned for each patient. This requires careful coordination so that the schedule, which is usually too busy, is not overcrowded and that there is sufficient buffer for unforeseen events. Proven tips for scheduling include:

1. Schedule appointments with time buffers: This forms the basis for efficient scheduling. With an extra time buffer of 5-15 minutes between appointments, you guarantee more flexibility and can easily compensate for delays.
   
2. Prioritizing acute cases and short-term appointments: Set a number of daily acute appointments and weekly short-term appointments.
   
3. Distinction between different appointment types: Define various types of appointments (such as preventive examinations and acute appointments). Depending on the type of appointment, adjust the time required to meet patients' needs well.
   
4. Grouping of similar appointments and use of off-peak hours: For example, all ultrasound scans or all vaccinations could be grouped within a specific period of time to optimize the workflow.
   
5. Use of off-peak hours: You can use off-peak hours, such as early morning or late evening hours, to plan additional appointments and make optimal use of practice resources.
   
6. Plan more time for complex cases, frail patients and initial consultations: Especially for complex cases, new patients and elderly or frail people, they should plan a bit more time.
   
7. Electronic appointment calendar for better organization: The use of an electronic appointment calendar makes it easier to manage and plan appointments and enables efficient communication between medical staff and patients.

Extra tip: Also be aware of when a particularly large number of patients appear. More in the morning, at noon or in the evening? On certain days? Where are traffic jams, at the counter or in the waiting room? Questions of this kind help you find the right optimization approaches.

2. Targeted communication with the patient

Communicating clearly and transparently with patients is critical so they can respond with understanding and be more patient. Inform patients about waiting times and possible delays as soon as they make an appointment or when checking in at the practice. This can help prevent frustration and increase patients' trust in the practice.

In addition, it is important that the staff in the practice always treat patients in a friendly and respectful manner and provide support and information when needed.

3. Structured practice organization

Train your staff in efficient work processes and ensure that every employee knows their role and responsibilities. Use technologies such as electronic health records, digital document management, digital invoice delivery and Appointment management systemsto reduce administrative burdens and optimize workflow. With Nelly can you integrate these optimizations into your practice management system in a tailor-made way.

Continue to design the Waiting area pleasant and invitingto improve patients' comfort while waiting: Good reading material, WiFi, drinks, soft music, and friendly communication can work wonders.

4. Prioritize emergencies

Emergencies and urgent cases should always be adequately prioritized to ensure rapid care. Implement clear protocols and guidelines for prioritizing patients and ensure healthcare personnel are trained to immediately identify emergencies and act accordingly.

This can help prevent longer wait times for patients with acute problems and ensure they receive much-needed care.

5. Get feedback from patients

Listen to your patients' feedback and use their experiences to make improvements. Implement Feedback mechanisms such as patient surveys or feedback forms to gain valuable insights into the patient experience.

Analyze the feedback received carefully and derive targeted measures to improve practice processes. Through continuous communication with patients, bottlenecks or problems in the process can be identified and effective solutions can be found to reduce waiting time and increase patient satisfaction.

6. Digital optimization

There are far-reaching opportunities to digitally optimize practice and thus reduce the workload of practice staff and at the same time reduce waiting times. For example, you can let your patients fill out their medical history from home with Nelly.

Your medical professionals are then no longer busy typing in medical history data and have the patients directly in practice management system. Now their focus can be on getting patients to get there faster.

Doctors also benefit from this: They immediately have the necessary data and do not have to deal with illegible manuscripts. This function alone saves around 90 minutes per day (an average of 5-7 time savings per patient). Another benefit: Fewer inquiries from patients.

Duties of patients towards medical practices

There are no official obligations for patients, but they should abide by certain rules to make life easier for everyone involved. You can also communicate these rules or wishes to your patients, for example, in notices in the waiting room.

1. How long before should patients see a doctor?

Patients should arrive punctually for their doctor's appointment to ensure that the practice runs smoothly. We recommend: Arrive at the practice approximately 10 minutes before the agreed appointment. This gives patients enough time to check in at reception.

2. Rejection behavior

If patients are unable to keep their doctor's appointment, it is important to cancel it as early as possible. By canceling in good time, other patients have the opportunity to make their appointment and the practice can adjust their schedule accordingly. Ideally, patients should cancel their appointment at least 24 hours in advance so that the practice has enough time to make new arrangements.

3. Respectful behavior towards medical personnel

Patients often do not understand how stressful and overburdened medical staff and doctors are: A high workload, time pressure, a high level of bureaucracy and staff shortages. These are just a few of the stressors. This is precisely why it is so important to treat staff in a friendly and respectful way whenever possible. Hard work can of course also be recognized by verbally recognizing the time and efforts of the staff.

Through friendly communication and a respectful attitude, patients help create a positive work environment that ultimately improves the quality of care and promotes the wellbeing of everyone involved.

4. Should patients show up without an appointment?

Long waiting times are also often caused by patients coming to the practice without an appointment and expecting to be treated immediately by a doctor. However, practice cannot predict how many patients will appear spontaneously and how much time they will need.

It is known that without prior notification, patients often have acute symptoms that require timely treatment. It's important to understand that “timely” doesn't always mean “immediately”: unless it involves life-threatening situations.

Important to know for patients without an appointment: When appearing without an appointment, the doctor often does not have the opportunity to devote enough time to diagnosis and treatment.

For this reason, we recommend that patients first ask themselves the following questions:

1. Do I absolutely have to see a doctor today?
2. How severe is the pain or discomfort?
3. Is my complaint acute or can it wait until the next appointment?
4. Would I like quick emergency care or would I prefer a follow-up appointment with more time for diagnosis and treatment?

Can patients charge for long waiting times at the doctor?

The answer to that question is yes. It is usually not possible for patients to directly bill the doctor for a long wait time or receive compensation for it. Waiting times are generally considered part of the normal process and there is no legal basis on which patients can claim compensation for waiting times.

However, in some specific cases, patients could claim certain costs associated with a longer waiting period. For example, if they wait an unreasonably long wait, they could miss an appointment that they have already made and may suffer a loss of earnings as a result.

In such cases, patients may attempt to claim this loss of earnings. To do this, they must prove in detail that the loss of earnings was caused by the practice's too long waiting times and that the practice is poorly organized. Although this is successful in individual cases, it is often not.

Because again, it is important to note: Longer waiting times are caused by unforeseeable circumstances such as emergencies or unexpectedly long treatments for other patients that are beyond the control of the practice. In such cases, it can be difficult to justify compensation for the longer waiting period.

Can practices charge patients a cancellation fee if they don't show up?

Practices usually have the right to charge a cancellation fee if a patient fails to meet an agreed appointment or shows up significantly too late. This fee is intended to cover the costs arising from the unused appointment and may vary depending on practice policy.

It is important to note that such fees Communicates in advance must and cannot be charged indiscriminately. Practices should therefore clearly communicate their cancellation and no-show policies to avoid misunderstandings.

Conclusion: Reducing long waiting times is a win-win situation

Long wait times at the doctor can be frustrating for patients, but they're often unavoidable. Waiting time of around 30 minutes is considered acceptable. Times that exceed 60 minutes are considered unacceptable for most patients. Unless they have been notified of this in advance.

The reasons for longer waiting times are varied and range from unforeseen emergencies to complex treatments and high patient demand. However, doctors and practices can take steps to reduce waiting times and thus increase patient satisfaction.

This includes efficient scheduling, clear communication with patients, prioritizing emergencies, and use digital technologies to optimize practice processes. Nelly We are happy to help you digitally optimize your practice and find tailor-made solutions for your practice.

Common questions

With private health insurance: Shorter waiting time at the doctor?

In some cases, private health insurance (PKV) can help to reduce waiting times at the doctor. This is because some doctors in Germany prefer privately insured persons, as they often receive higher fees for their services. As a result, private patients could potentially receive preferential access to appointments and treatments.

Is waiting at the doctor for 3 hours without an appointment normal?

Long waiting times of three hours without an appointment are not normal and should not be accepted. It could indicate problems such as high patient demand, inefficient practice organization, or overbooking. It is important to share such concerns with healthcare professionals or to consider another practice that provides better patient care.