Abstract
Purpose: Spending time in waiting rooms prior to dental visits is not uncommon for dental hygiene patients. The objectives were to determine if the length of a patients' waiting time affected their satisfaction with the appointment and their evaluation of their provider. In addition, the patient's level of education and whether the dental visit is a first visit will be examined to determine if these affected the outcome.
Methods: Survey data were collected from 399 adult patients who came for regularly scheduled visits to a dental school clinic. The patients ranged in age from 19 to 93 years (mean=52 years; SD=16.9). For 29% of the patients, this visit was the first visit with this provider.
Results: The patients whose providers were early (n=65) were more satisfied, more likely to plan to follow their provider's recommendation and evaluated their relationship with their provider more positively than patients whose providers were on time (n=283), while the patients in the “late” group (n=32) showed the most negative responses to all questions. Patients from higher educational backgrounds were most negative in their responses when their providers were late. Patients with a first visit whose providers were late had the most negative evaluations of the patient-provider relationship.
Conclusion: Long waiting times prior to a scheduled dental appointment have a negative effect on patients' satisfaction with their visit, the evaluations of the patient-provider relationship and the patients' intentions to return.
- dental hygienists
- dentists
- patients
- dentist-patient relationships
- patient appointment
- patient satisfaction
- patient schedule
- patient compliance
- patient cooperation
Footnotes
Marita Rohr Inglehart, Dr. phil. habil, is a Professor, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry & Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Literature, Science & Arts, University of Michigan. Alexander H. Lee, BS, is a Research assistant, University of Michigan – School of Dentistry. Kristin G. Koltuniak, BS, RDH, is a dental hygienist in private practice of Dr. Diana Wolf Abbott, DDS, MS, PC, in Rochester Hills, MI. Taylor A. Morton, RDH, BS, is a dental hygienist in private practice at Children's Dental Specialists in Warren, NJ. Jenna M. Wheaton, RDA, RDH, BSDH, is a dental hygienist in private practice at Shortt Dental in South Lyon, MI.
This study supports the NDHRA priority area, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention: Assess strategies for effective communication between the dental hygienist and client.
- Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association
