With COVID-19 still surging worldwide, many hospitals and doctor’s offices are filling up quickly, with waiting times only increasing due to patient overload. To ensure your patients are entertained, informed, and protected, follow this short guide to ways to improve a medical waiting room.
Give Them Something To Do
Some people may already be anxious when they go to a medical facility, so if they don’t have something to do, they can only focus on their anxiety.
Try to provide your patients with something to do to help them relax, like TV, free Wi-Fi, magazines, and charging stations. They’ll appreciate the ability to take their minds off any stress they may feel.
Keep Patients Informed
When patients sit in the waiting room, listening intently to each person’s name being called out and hoping it’s theirs, it’s easy to grow frustrated as time passes. This is especially true if the only thing they’re focusing on is how long they’re sitting there.
A cost-effective way to help your patients feel more at ease is by assigning an employee to be the waiting room liaison who lets patients know approximately how much time is left until their turn.
This can help decrease additional stress and provide patients with insight into how much time they have left before going back to work, continuing with errands, and so on.
Offer Proper Protection
A great way to improve your medical waiting room is to provide as much medical personal protective equipment as possible to ensure they feel safe in your facility.
During a time of uncertainty and fear of public spaces due to COVID-19, be sure to offer medical-grade sanitizer, extra masks, and gloves to protect your patients.
These easy ways to improve a medical waiting room will improve your medical practice and help your patients feel safer and more comfortable.