4 Common Causes of Extended Wait Times

Research shows that 63% of patients would switch providers if consistently faced with long wait times, making this a critical issue for practice success. But your practice's wait times are often a symptom of deeper operational challenges. 

Let's examine the five primary causes that lead to patients spending more time in your waiting room than necessary:

1. Insufficient Staffing and Unexpected Absences

Inadequate staffing levels are a significant contributor to extended wait times. When you're short-staffed, each team member must handle more responsibilities, creating bottlenecks in patient care.

Some patients will even leave appointments due to long waits, which has a negative impact on your reputation—especially if the patient decides to leave a negative review.

2. Ineffective Scheduling Practices

Poor scheduling often stems from not allocating appropriate time for different procedures or failing to account for transition periods between patients.

Examples include overbooking appointments without proper buffer time, not considering the complexity of certain procedures, failing to account for seasonal fluctuations in patient volume, and inadequate handling of emergency cases that disrupt scheduled appointments.

3. Inefficient Operational Processes

Outdated or poorly optimized workflows can significantly impact wait times. Common issues include manual check-in processes that create front-desk bottlenecks, lack of streamlined communication between front and back office, inefficient handoffs between different staff members, and poor coordination of equipment and treatment room usage.

4. Communication Breakdowns Among Staff

When your team isn't communicating effectively, delays multiply.

Ineffective communication is particularly evident in practices where front desk staff aren't promptly informed about delays in treatment rooms, providers aren't updated about patient arrival status, treatment complications aren't communicated to schedule coordinators, and staff members aren't aligned on daily priorities and timing.

5 Strategies to Minimize Patient Wait Times

By now you already have an idea of what's causing the long patient wait times in your practice. Here are five proven strategies to minimize wait times:

1. Optimize Your Staffing Strategies

Creating a flexible staffing approach that adapts to your patient flow is essential. You should maintain a pool of qualified temporary staff for unexpected rushes or absences, cross-train team members to handle multiple roles during peak times, schedule staff shifts based on historical patient volume patterns, and consider implementing floating staff positions during traditionally busy periods.

Teero's dental staffing platform can help you find vetted dental hygienists in your area for temporary work or free permanent placements. This can help you solve your staffing shortage, be it short-term or long-term.

2. Adopt Efficient Scheduling Methods

Transforming your scheduling system can prevent bottlenecks. Build in strategic buffer times between appointments to accommodate unexpected complications and use staggered scheduling to prevent waiting room overcrowding.

You also need to create specific time blocks for different procedure types, and develop clear policies for late arrivals and no-shows to maintain schedule integrity.

3. Leverage Digital Technologies

Streamlining operations with technology can greatly reduce wait times.

Enable patients to complete their pre-appointment paperwork online, implement a queue management system that provides real-time updates, and use automated appointment reminders to reduce no-shows.

It's also a good idea to adopt a practice management system that tracks patient flow metrics for better planning.

4. Assign a Patient Flow Coordinator

Assigning a dedicated staff member to manage patient flow can make a significant difference.

This individual should monitor waiting times and identify bottlenecks in real-time, coordinate between front desk, clinical staff, and providers, and manage patient expectations.

They also provide wait time updates, and adjust staff assignments based on immediate needs.

5. Streamline Your Check-in Process

Improving the arrival process is crucial. You can:

• Install self-service check-in kiosks for returning patients

• Send digital intake forms before appointments

• Set up a fast-track system for patients who completed pre-visit requirements

• Train front desk staff on rapid verification procedures

  
  

Improving Patient Wait Times Requires a Multi-Pronged Approach

Many practices implement several solutions to reduce patient wait times. For example, they use efficient scheduling and queue management systems, but they also maintain optimal staffing levels to prevent delays.

By partnering with Teero, you can quickly access qualified dental hygienists to fill staffing gaps, ensuring consistent patient flow and minimizing wait times. Don't let staffing shortages compromise your practice's efficiency—use Teero's flexible staffing solution to deliver the timely, quality care your patients expect.