Seven Essential Elements of Effective Physician Waiting Rooms

It used to be enough for physician waiting rooms to offer rows of uncomfortable chairs, six-month-old magazines and a television blaring in the corner.

But with today's average wait time at 21 minutes and the public's increasing frustration with the healthcare system, a well-designed physician or medical practice waiting room can make all the difference in how your patients perceive you and their patient care experience.

Below is a list of seven essential elements for an effective patient waiting room. Consider implementing some – or all – of these to help set a positive tone for office visits, reduce patient stress and even decrease the perceived wait time.

#1: Offer Variety in Space

Depending on the age and socioeconomic background of your patients, offer a variety of areas in your waiting room to accommodate different needs.

For example:

• Build in an area for professionals to work on their laptops and include convenient electrical plugs and of course, free wi-fi
• Offer a separate kid-friendly area for parents and small children.
• For other guests, offer an area with recent magazines, health information pertinent to your specialty and a television (on low volume) featuring a non-controversial documentary or program with general appeal.
• Create a seating plan that faces patients away from each other. Some people prefer privacy as opposed to facing a row of other patients.

#2: Use Light Strategically

Proper use of lighting can make your patients feel more comfortable and at ease.

Rather than have your waiting room lit with harsh fluorescent light like an office, consider these ideas:

• Provide a variety of lighting options including overhead, lamps and decorative lights to create a friendly ambience and to make it easy for your patients to read, watch television or rest.
• If possible, bring in some natural light with outdoor views. This makes the room seem larger since it connects with the outdoors. Plus it feels less clinical and more calming.

#3: Upgrade Furnishings

Although matching chairs may be more economical and utilitarian, patients will be more comfortable waiting in an area that's more like home and less like a doctor's office. Consider these things:

• Sit in the furniture before you purchase it and make sure it's comfortable.
• Tie the furnishings into your waiting room color scheme and consider mixing furnishings so that patients can choose what type of seating makes them most comfortable.
• Consider purchasing a variety of furniture including: sofas, wingback chairs, stools and tables such as end tables and coffee tables.

#4: Get Technologically Updated

Free wi-fi and an abundance of electrical plugs or even charging stations are considered standard these days. A new trend is offering tablets with access to health information and providing self check-in kiosks allowing patients to update personal information and even answer health history questions.

#5: Add Sound

If you've ever sat in a silent waiting room, you know how tension-filled and nerve wracking that can be. Adding an element of sound – whether overhead music, or the room noise of a television, not only makes the room more homelike but allow for more private conservation between patients and their family members. Some other tips:

• Television: One report says that only 41 percent of those in a waiting room watch television. Higher percentages read or use their mobile phone. For those not watching the television, be sure to keep the volume at a discreet level and provide seating away from the television.
• Overhead music: When choosing overhead music, be sure to match the format to your client demographic and the tone of your practice. And try to use a private service so that you skip the advertisements.
• Another way to promote calm and serenity in your waiting room is through the use of water features. Waterfalls, water walls, fountains and aquariums can add visual appeal to a space and add the calm, soothing sound of running water.

#6: Display Artwork

Displaying art on your walls will make your waiting room more home-like and less clinical. Choose art that complements your color scheme, or perhaps photographs of local landmarks or soothing nature scenes.

#7: Use Scent

Scent is the element most waiting rooms overlook. A clean, pleasant-smelling room feels more like home and less like a clinic, and it is one of the first things patients notice when the door opens.

Smell is closely tied to memory. In one study, people who saw brands in a scented room recalled and recognized them better 24 hours later (Morrin and Ratneshwar, Journal of Marketing Research, 2003).

Scent can also shape how people rate a service over time. In a four-month study of German rail commuters, regular travelers exposed to a scent they did not consciously notice rated service quality higher, and the higher ratings held after the scent was removed (Girard et al., 2019).

Our library has more than 200 fragrances. Cold-air diffusers spread them evenly over large spaces such as dental offices, hospitals and medical practices.

Pressurized air breaks the fragrance oil into a fine mist, with no heat and no water, so the scent reaches the whole waiting room, not just one corner.

Keep it light. Treat odors at their source first, and set the fragrance low enough that patients notice a fresh room, not a perfume. To smell the difference in your own practice, start with a free seven-day trial, with the diffuser and fragrance provided, or talk with a scent expert.

You Want Your Patients to Enjoy The Wait

Think of your waiting room as part of the overall patient care experience. From the moment they enter to time they leave, you want your patients to feel good about choosing you as their healthcare provider.

Incorporating these seven essential elements can instill confidence in you as their physician, help them relax, and encourage them to look forward to their next visit.

And if you get your waiting room right, they may even enjoy the wait.

Sources: Morrin, M. and Ratneshwar, S. (2003), "Does It Make Sense to Use Scents to Enhance Brand Memory?", Journal of Marketing Research, summarized by Rutgers University. Girard, A. and colleagues (2019), Deutsche Bahn field study, LMU Munich repository.

Related reading: Healthcare, dental, and veterinary scenting · What scent marketing is and why it matters