Draft reference — content review pending
Patient Wait Time
The average or median elapsed time from the defined completed check-in event to the defined service-start event for eligible appointments.
Business question
How long do eligible attendees wait between completed check-in and the defined service start?
Formula
Patient wait time = average or median elapsed time from completed check-in to the defined service-start event for eligible appointments.
Calculation notes
Define both timestamp events, timezone, unit, appointment cohort, handling of missing or corrected timestamps, and whether scheduled-time-to-start is reported separately.
Edge-case guidance
Do not mix check-in-to-start with scheduled-time-to-start. Exclude or flag impossible intervals, walk-ins without the defined check-in event, and records with missing timestamps in aggregate reporting.
Required data
| Input | Type | Status | Available source hints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible wait durationsAggregate elapsed durations measured consistently from completed check-in to the defined service start. | Duration | Required | Appointment system · Excel · Google Sheets · Manual records |
| Eligible wait observationsCount of eligible observations with both defined events recorded. | Number | Required | Appointment system · Excel · Google Sheets · Manual records |
Interpretation
Use a clearly documented operational interval. State whether the reporting view uses an average or median, and interpret it with check-in practices, scheduling design, staffing, and delays in the operating flow.
Caution
Use aggregate records only. Do not include names, individual record identifiers, or other personal health information. Implementation must follow applicable privacy, healthcare, and insurance requirements. Exclude records that cannot be classified consistently.
Implementation recommendation
Standardize the two aggregate event definitions and report average or median consistently; annotate scheduling, staffing, and workflow changes.
Target guidance
Set a context-specific target for patient wait time from comparable historical periods, then adjust it for scheduling policy, operating capacity, seasonality, service mix, and data quality. Review the target with the accountable operations owner; reducing elapsed time by compressing check-in or service steps may reduce data quality or service capacity.