Why Do We Keep Building Waiting Rooms?


Passengers in the waiting room of Nanchang Railway Station, China. Image © humphery | Shutterstock

Passengers in the waiting room of Nanchang Railway Station, China. Image © humphery | Shutterstock

This article was originally published on Common Edge.

Pretty much everyone hates waiting rooms. Here are four statistics about them from a survey administered by Software Advice, an Austin, Texas-based consultation group: 80% of respondents said being told the accurate wait time would either completely or somewhat minimize their frustration; 40% said they would be willing to see another physician if it meant a shorter waiting time; 20% would be willing to pay an extra fee for quicker service; and 97%—virtually all of us!—are frustrated by wait times. And now, waiting rooms, in addition to being some of the dreariest places on earth, have become one of the easiest places in the world to get sick.

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