The waiting room is a vital benchmark that practitioners need to keep in mind before planning to set up a base. Especially, where pediatric clinics are concerned, the environment needs to be less stimulating and overwhelming since you’re dealing with younger children. You might be confused with the hows and the whys while renovating or setting up a new clinic. And it’s completely normal to overthink and ruminate. To ease some of your mental strain, here are some questions to ask when designing a pediatric waiting room so that you don’t cut out any positive patient experiences.
Many patients are likely to spend some time in the waiting room before their appointment. That’s why it’s important to carefully design your pediatric waiting room.
Is The Overall Ambience Of My Clinic Child-Friendly?
The word “doctor” can seem a bit too daunting, especially for younger children. But, much of that fear can be alleviated if you set your waiting room ambiance according to the child’s taste. For this, you need to think like a child, about what would appeal to them the most, and about what they should feel. Children are fond of colorful, well-lit spaces that are well organized. It makes them feel more comfortable and calm, which will help them to ease their mind from any medical procedure they might go through. Nothing is more helpful than a serene environment and that is what your waiting room should aim for.
To decorate your walls, you can hang a couple of pictures of animated animals, install a couple of mirrors, or even include a few interactive board games across the coffee table. You could go a step further and even install an aquarium.
Keep in mind that you also have to cater to mature audiences, specifically speaking adolescents and parents. Install a couple of plug points so that they can charge their devices. And if you have the budget, consider offering free wifi. This will enhance the waiting experience and will also increase the chances of you being referred. Always remember that proper customer service is key for any medical practice to flourish.
Is The Waiting Room Comforting Enough?
Put yourself in the patient’s shoes, enter your waiting room, and then ask yourself this question. Scan the area and detect the elements that you feel are off-putting for a patient. Cleanliness is pivotal and patients expect your clinic to be spick and span. And going wrong in this domain could be detrimental to your reputation. So, check for cleanliness all along the way: for any carpets that have stains, and musty-dusty sofas. Taking care of these small things is really important.
Also, are the magazines and books that you keep on the table up-to-date? Is there sufficient and relevant reading material to read? Taking care of these small things will surely make your patients feel more welcomed. You also need to account for all these things when starting a medical practice.
Are There Any Activities That’ll Keep Patients Engaged While Waiting?
No one likes waiting for long periods and there is enough opportunity for your patients to get restless after a while. While some might fidget with their phones, what about the others who aren’t as attached to their mobile. Their minds need to be active as well.
Provide toys for children, and interesting literature for adults and adolescents. Arrange for things that’ll help them with the wait.
Do I Have Proper Communication With My Staff?
You would want to ensure that you are in constant contact with your staff. The need for any extra assistance could arise at any moment and therefore, the necessity for having an efficient communication system. While you have staff that oversees the waiting room and helps in welcoming patients, you could make use of modern medical gadgets and include a bit of technology too, to help you be in contact with staff. Include pagers, use cell phones for the communication bit, and have electronic coded monitors so that your staff can access health records more efficiently.
Do I Have The Right Furniture For My Audience?
This is one of the important questions to ask when designing a pediatric waiting room. People visit your practice for various reasons. It may be for general checkups, progress reports, or if you’re a pediatric surgeon, people will come to you to perform their child’s surgeries. And waiting through those tense times is not pleasant at all. Although you might not be able to do much about the waiting part, you can ensure that your waiting room has comfortable furniture suited for all ages. It’ll help them be a bit more relaxed and calm. Invest in comfortable sofas, coffee tables, and include individual seating arrangements as well. After all, everybody needs some time on their own.
For children, see that you have furniture scaled to their requirements. Also, active children don’t want to sit in one place. So, in your play areas, see that you’ve clean cushions and rugs set up.
Does My Practice Have Good Acoustics?
Having a waiting room that is acoustically sound should be on the top of your checklist if you’re setting up your practice for the first time, or renovating it. Blocking outside sounds and keeping your little space exclusively for your patient’s peace can enhance the overall experience. You don’t have unnecessary traffic noise to aggravate your patient’s stress, which means they’re in a more comfortable position to wait.
You can use carpets and acoustic ceiling tiles for better sound absorption. Or, you could invest in a professional sound masking system if you’d want a better sound-proof environment. To accompany the serenity, you can have smooth instrumental music playing in the background so the environment becomes even more calming, relaxing, and welcoming.
Is the room clean and safe is among the most important questions to ask when designing a pediatric waiting room.
Conclusion
If you are ever pondering about setting up your clinic, keep in mind that you need to dedicate an equal amount of time to set up your waiting room too. These are a few questions to ask when designing a pediatric waiting room and ensure that you tick each one off after you’ve answered them. Being a pediatrician means you’ve to tend to constant appointments. With our ImmunifyMe app, you can virtually treat your patients and access their health records digitally too. Also, all transactions are safe, and you can store your payments via our e-wallet.
FAQs On Questions To Ask When Designing A Pediatric Waiting Room
How Do You Decorate A Pediatric Waiting Room?
Children are fond of bright-colored and well-it spaces. Avoid using dark colors such as black, gray, and brown as they can make the ambiance look dull. You can use different colors to differentiate between the waiting area, pediatric rooms, and bathrooms as well. You can put a couple of animated pictures, and wooden toys to make the ambiance a little cozier and welcoming.
What Is The Purpose Of A Waiting Room?
You might think that patient experience is dependent on the quality of treatment. And although that is true, quality treatment is just 50% of what your patient expects. They expect a well-rounded experience that begins right from the waiting room. That’s why the waiting room has to be comfortable, welcoming, and should not make them feel they’re a burden to your practice.
Why Do They Play Music In Waiting Rooms?
Soft soothing music is known to improve customer experience and help patients be calm and relaxed. It makes the patient think more positively, making the wait easier than strenuous. If you haven’t been playing music in your waiting room, then it’s high time that you start doing so.