North Carolina medical journal
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The amount of waiting time a patient experiences in a primary care or specialty care outpatient setting may have an effect on patient satisfaction and may depend on other visit characteristics. We sought to investigate and quantify the association between waiting time and satisfaction outcomes in clinics belonging to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and assess how this relationship varies by time spent with the provider. ⋯ Our findings confirm that reduced waiting time may lead to increased patient satisfaction and greater willingness to return in primary and specialty care outpatient settings. Furthermore, increased waiting time combined with reduced time spent with the physician coincide with noticeable drops in patient satisfaction.