MANAGING THE CLINIC WAIT - AN IMPORTANT QUALITY OF CARE CHALLENGE

Patients spend a substantial amount of time in clinics waiting for ser vices to be delivered by nursing and other allied health professionals . The degree to which health consumers are satisfied with the care rec eived is strongly related to the quality of the wait experience. Healt h care organizations that strive to deliver exceptional service must e ffectively manage their clinic wait. Failure to incorporate consumer-d riven features into the design of the wait experience will lead to pat ient and provider dissatisfaction.