Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40369534›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Impact of expected waiting time on pediatric outpatient satisfaction: a behavioral experiment study.

Hui Zhang, Junhua Tian, Yu Shi, Yuping Qian, Xuan Gao, Xiaowen Zhai

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Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hui Zhang *College of Shanghai Lausanne Hospitality Management, Shanghai Business School, Shanghai, 200235, China.
Junhua Tian *Nursing Department, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yu ShiOutpatient and Emergency Management Office, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Yuping QianOutpatient and Emergency Management Office, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xuan GaoOutpatient and Emergency Management Office, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. xuangao@fudan.edu.cn.
Xiaowen ZhaiDepartment of Hematology/Oncology, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. xwzhai@fudan.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOutpatient departments of tertiary children's hospitals in China are often overcrowded. This study used a behavioral experiment to investigate the relationship between expectations and satisfaction levels to improve visitor satisfaction.

methodsThe experiment consisted of control and experimental groups. Initially, the initial expected waiting times (EWT) for the subjects in both groups were obtained. Unlike the control group, subjects in the experimental group received reminders regarding waiting times and subsequently adjusted their EWT accordingly. This study mainly used non-parametric tests to analyze the differences in satisfaction levels between the two groups of subjects. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the hospital ethics committee.

resultsSignificant differences in satisfaction levels were observed between the control and experimental groups when AWT exceeded EWT. However, no significant disparity in satisfaction levels was observed between the two groups when the AWT was equal to or shorter than the EWT. Within the experimental group, a significant difference in satisfaction was noted during peak hours between parents effectively regulated by the EWT and those not effectively regulated. Conversely, during off-peak hours, there was no significant difference in satisfaction between those effectively regulated by the EWT and those not effectively regulated.

conclusionProviding advance notice of long waiting times can extend the EWT of the subjects and significantly enhance their satisfaction. Healthcare institutions can adjust the EWT of the visitors by informing them in advance about potential waiting times according to the temporal patterns of outpatient visitation numbers during peak hours.

Indexed as

Hospitals, PediatricOutpatientsPatient SatisfactionWaiting ListsChildChinaFemaleHumansMaleTime FactorsBehavioral experimentExpected waiting timeOutpatients satisfaction

Identifiers

PMID40369534
PMCPMC12080158

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.