The Human Side of the Waiting Room: Lessons Learned from Everyday Interactions
Not Just a Space to Sit Most people don’t think twice about waiting rooms. They’re just a place you sit before you’re called back. But now that I work in one—well, near one—I’ve come to see it differently. The waiting room is where a lot of the emotional energy in healthcare lives. It’s where anxiety […]
Building Trust in 15 Minutes: Connecting with Patients in Short Visits
The Clock Starts Fast In outpatient care, you learn quickly that time is tight. Each patient gets about 15 or 20 minutes, sometimes less. That time is supposed to include everything—gathering a history, doing a physical assessment, reviewing labs, adjusting medications, and addressing any concerns. But beyond all that, there’s another task that isn’t always […]