Does the use of volunteers and playbooks in pediatric primary care clinic waiting rooms influence patient experience?

Abstract

The purpose of this secondary data analysis was (1) to understand the use of a playbook as a positive distraction technique and (2) to explore the use of volunteers in the waiting room of an outpatient pediatric clinic setting. Specifically, the study examined the impact on perceived wait time, overall quality of care, and patient experience in a convenience sample of patients. Data obtained for a pilot program for improving patient experience were aggregated for exploratory analysis. Although significant differences in perceived wait time or patient experience were not found, the cohort exposed to both the playbook and volunteer intervention reported a significantly higher perceived quality of care. This analysis suggests the use of a playbook as a distraction technique along with the support of a waiting room volunteer may contribute to an increase in perceived quality of care in outpatient pediatric clinics.

Keywords

• patient experience
• perception
• patient satisfaction
• quality of care
• wait times
• communication
• volunteers
• positive distraction
• interactions