Waiting more than 30 minutes tops the list of doctor office frustrations for American patients. A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans who visited doctors in the past year found 52% cite excessive waiting room time as an instant turn-off. Unable to speak with a human ranked second at 48%, while appointment scheduling difficulties came third at 41%. Patients decide within 20 minutes of an appointment whether they’ll return to that doctor. Americans typically wait eight and a half minutes on hold when scheduling appointments, but will only tolerate 10 minutes before hanging up with new offices. The study found establishing trust with new doctors creates the most anxiety for 54% of patients. Poor care quality would cause 58% to switch doctors, while 49% would leave if they felt unheard. (Story URL)

PHONE TOPIC: What’s the worst thing about going to the doctor?