By Oliver Lou, OD 
Giving patients an iPad to explore while they wait for an exam may not shorten their wait time—but it makes the experience more enjoyable. Having iPads in your practice also promotes a positive, high-tech image.
My wife, Julia, came up with an ingenious solution to my practice’s number one problem–that we make patients wait too long. I care so much about my patients’ wait times, that we have timers set outside each of our six exam rooms to track how long each patient waits to see me. For the most part, I believe we are good at limiting our patients’ wait times. However, no matter how much we try to manage our schedule, invariably a few patients wait longer than they like. I can see their agitation or downright disgust when I walk into the room. At that point, I have an uphill battle to make the patient happy. Now, with the purchase of six iPads (one for each exam lane), we have a weapon to help us in the battle of keeping patients placated during their wait times. Patients’ wait time may not be any shorter, but I find they have a different, happier perspective when I walk into the room.
It Pays to Give Patients iPad “Toys”
Buying iPads has been one of the better $3,200 I have spent for the office. Each day a patient thanks me or compliments me on providing iPads for them while they wait. Our web site has over10 reviews that specifically mention the iPad as a very positive thing we offer. A positive web site review is alwaysa great asset for the practice in attracting new patients, so anything that consistently gets mentioned as a strength is valuable. When we started receiving Demandforce surveys from our patients a few years ago, we were rated close to the national average on patient satisfaction (94.3 percent)for reasonable wait time. Since implementing the iPad, as well as being mindful to keep patients’ wait time at a minimum, we have seen improvement to a 98.3 percent satisfaction for reasonable wait time.
I estimate the average patient wait time to see a doctor at our practice is five to 10 minutes. With 383 patients responding to our surveys, I am thankful and pleased to find out that the majority of our patients are extremely pleased with the reasonability of their wait time. Overall complaints of unreasonable wait time have gone down dramatically even though we have gotten busier as a practice.
Offer Other Diversions, Too
Providing patients with the latest in cool devices will reduce perceived wait time for some, or even most, of your patients, but many others will prefer old school ways to pass the time like print magazines and refreshments. We offer People, Sports Illustrated, Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Garden, Popular Science, ESPN and Real Simple.
My technicians always offer a bottle of water, a cup of coffee, and/or a cup of tea while they are waiting. We have a Keurig single cup brewer in our waiting room so patients have a large variety of coffees and teas to choose from while they are waiting.
Purchase the iPads
I started giving patients iPads about two weeks after they came out in 2010. Each iPad was $499 (about $540 after tax). I decided to use the iPads in the exam rooms because exam rooms are typically where a patient waits the longest. I have four employees that can perform preliminary testing for patients, but there are usually only two doctors, and at times, only one doctor who can see patients. We were about to install televisions in each exam room while the patient waited. We got that idea from our dentist who uses televisions in exam rooms while patients wait and also while he works on your teeth. The timing was perfect for the iPad to come out, because it was actually easier, cheaper and had a bigger wow factor for patients than having a TV in the exam room.
Load the iPads
We generally load the iPad with free games, free applications, news and short TV clips. Patients often will use the devices to surf the web, check their Facebook page or check their e-mail. Patients seem very happy to play, surf or catch up on work. The most popular applications for our patients to interact with on the iPad are Angry Birds, Labrynth (a marble maze game) and their Facebook page.
Secure the iPads
Thankfully, we have not lost any of our six iPads in 18 months. We have each iPad labeled with Signature Eye Care and the exam room it belongs to. I always try my best to greet the patient warmly when I walk into the exam room. Right after that, I kindly ask for the iPad back so I can put it into the rack it belongs to. However, if a child is waiting during a family member’s exam, we’ll let the child continue playing with the iPad while he/she is waiting. I’ve had a few patients ask if they can have the iPad and I usually respond that if they buy five pairs of eyeglasses, we’ll give them an iPad with that. So far, we haven’t had any patients take us up on that offer.
Providing Latest in Devices Can Aid Image
Providing iPads during wait time reflects well on our practice. It says that we embrace innovation, positive energy, trendiness and technology, and that we care about wowing our patients.
The iPads create an added bond between me and my patients. I find that most patients understand and appreciate technologies, applications and downloads more than corneas, lenses and retinas. I feel lucky that my patients and I can now laugh about wait times and talk about more fun things such as the latest and greatest technologies. The iPads have been welcome additions to the practice and make a good first impression.
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Oliver Lou, OD, owns Signature Eye Care in Cedar Park, Texas. He also is adjunct professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. To reach him: olou7@yahoo.com
