Optimizing the Waiting Room Experience

Abstract

In 1981, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers released a song called “The Waiting” that contained the refrain “the waiting is the hardest part.”www.shutterstock.com. Waiting room, front desk.This is not news for anxious patients in office waiting rooms, where seconds can feel like minutes and minutes can feel like hours. This natural disdain for waiting rooms is sometimes a barrier to hearing health care. Michele Ahlman, the owner and CEO of ClearDigital Media, advises on the ideal waiting room for patients, many of whom are older and somewhat anxious to be there. Her company designs and develops waiting room video content. As a longtime partner to audiologists, Ahlman knows how crucial first impressions can be for patients potentially facing a diagnosis as stigmatizing as hearing loss. The stigma, said Ahlman, is more about the connection with other people than it is about aging. “We put stuff on our bodies all the time,” she said. “We all wear glasses now. It’s a fashion accessory.” But hearing is unique, she explained, because it involves the processing of the language. “If you can’t see something, you can’t see something; you need glasses in order to read or drive or whatever, but it’s an inanimate object,” she said. “It doesn’t change how you connect with somebody. You change how you connect with somebody based on how well you can understand them. You fail to understand people because you have hearing loss.” The stigma of one recognizing their own hearing loss, and then doing something about it, only adds to the stress level of a patient walking into an office where a negative experience may lead to not returning. “It’s not a ‘I can’t wait to get to the audiologist,’” continued Ahlman. “It’s more, ‘I have no other choice. I have to.’ It’s generally from pressure from family. Maybe it’s at a point where you can’t take it anymore. For the most part, unless it is a pediatric situation, people just put it off.” Once there, a patient is sitting in a waiting room that may not be improving the continuation of the journey. “A positive experience is if somebody walks into a welcoming, clean, fresh-smelling—and I can’t stress enough how smell matters—and well-laid-out waiting room,” said Ahlman. “It’s presenting that patient with professional content that says, ‘I care about you. We are going to educate you. We are here to prepare you. We know what we are doing. We are experts.’” Ahlman has a checklist of best business practices she shares with her clients, practicing audiologists, to help change that perception. THE WAITING ROOM MVP It begins with a good first impression, and that comes from those at the front desk who are tasked with meeting and greeting patients. “The front desk person is your most important hire, without a doubt,” said Ahlman. “Unfortunately, it’s not always seen that way, but a lot of people have figured that out. That person needs to have big smile on their face, a positive attitude and a welcoming personality. That person needs to realize they are the first point of contact. They need to respect the patient for where they are in their journey. “That presentation is so critical. It’s the warm heart when you first walk in. The front desk has to be well trained to understand the nuances of people as human beings. A typical hearing care provider is going to be for an older population. They are also going to be seeing people who have been putting off hearing care for some time, so the processing of sound can be challenging. Without patience, and without respect, you can set that patient in a negative spiral out of the box.” SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE Ahlman believes a waiting room should ease the tension by educating patients, and keeping them engaged, without them even being fully aware of it. How is this done? It can be as simple as refreshments (water bottles, coffee), clear signage and the streaming in of content with soothing background music/voiceover with closed captions on the screen. She added that content can include testimonials and positive experiences and interesting trivia and statistics, as well as what you can expect, which can relieve some of the stress from anticipation. “It entertains, but it also reassures the patient that they are not alone and that it’s going to be OK,” said Ahlman. “We will also have some celebrities, and people you know of, that are doing the same thing that you are. It’s really all about leading to a positive mindset.” “A silent waiting room is really uncomfortable,” said Ahlman. “I’ve come into some practices where it’s, like, ‘Ugh.’ You’re afraid to even talk. It’s so eerily quiet. Some elements of sound in a waiting room can reduce stress.” SIMPLE STEPS FOR SUCCESS Sometimes it takes not much more than an audiologist putting themselves in the shoes of a patient and seeing the practice through their eyes—before they treat a patient’s ears. “Once someone goes to that practice, they have been pushed there by family, and somebody from that family is going to be there with them,” said Ahlman. “A lot of times, it’s adult children of older people. You need to have content that speaks to families as well. That means structuring your waiting room in such a way that it allows for that. You don’t want it to be crowded. You wanted to have enough seating and to make it comfortable for families to sit. They are part of the process. The families are a critical part of the journey.” What’s important, at the end of the day, is what is most important to the patient. “Just because you may be really good at fitting somebody and reading an audiogram and programming a hearing aid, that is not the only thing that matters to your patients,” said Ahlman. “It really matters how they are greeted and treated. It really matters how you have treated the space that you use for the patients. Those are things that can make your break practices. There are some providers who don’t value that as much and then wonder, ‘Why am I struggling so much?’ Well, take a step back and evaluate your space from the patient’s perspective and how they feel when they walk in.” Ahlman added that it comes down to how well an audiologist can see their space through the eyes of others. That means coming upon the practice as if you are a patient. “Walk to your front door, as if you are a patient,” she said. “Look and see if there is garbage piled up at the front door, maybe because the wind blew it up against the door. Is your front door clean? Are the hours clearly posted? Are your hour labels dated and peeling? How does this present when you walk in the door? How do you feel? Is the temperature hot? Is it freezing? Does it smell bad, or is it fresh and clean? Are your walls clean? Did you check the doors? People notice these things. PERCEPTION AND REALITY Ahlman said she was recently discouraged by a Facebook post complaining about patients coming in early and snarky comments like, “You coming in early doesn’t make me late.” It shows Ahlman much work remains to be done. She said: “I thought, ‘Wow,’ I mean, maybe they are there early because they are anxious. Maybe they are early because they had to drive a long way. Maybe they are early because their concept of time is different because they are aging. How about, instead of doing that, you put a system in place that engages them and entertains them and makes them feel good. When they say, ‘Why were you running late?’ You can say, ‘I’m so glad that you come in early. I’m so glad that you’re here.’ That’s the importance of the office staff. That’s the front desk person who can navigate that.” And she warns of the net results of too many negative experiences. “That is going to be a negative experience,” she said. “That sets in motion a mindset that pulls the patient away from what they are there for and continues the fight in their head. The psychological battle is only amplified that way. “That’s where we run into trouble. because it’s an industry with professionals who are in it to care for people. Every one of those patients that remains silent will maybe go get an over-the-counter device somewhere. It’s not going to be that great, and then they are going to tell everybody they know that it’s an awful experience. And what does that do? It just keeps other people from taking action.” A CHANGING APPROACH TO CARE “In an industry that is there to serve and to help, you should connect with people,” said Ahlman. “There is nothing more valuable than being able to step off your own ledge, from the filters that we have in our own lifetime, and see it through possible filters of your patient to better understand. “Once you have that, and once you have the patience and the clarity to see things through your patients’ eyes, that makes all the difference in the world. That could change everything. It changes how you approach their care.”