Abstract
This survey investigated 196 outpatients' waiting time during all phases of medical consultation such as waiting time at reception and separately waiting time before the actual examination, if it occurred Even though significant differences were not found for the overall waiting time for initial medical consultations, subsequent examinations and pre-scheduled examinations, the actual consultation time was longer for patients coming for a first examination than for patients coming for subsequent or pre-scheduled examinations. The actual hour of arrival for the examination was not related to waiting time. The number of treatments on patients at their first consultation was higher than for patients coming for repeated or pre-scheduled examinations. Hospital stay increased the more treatments a patient received. Since examinations of outpatients are base on each patient' s individual condition (first timer or not), outpatients waiting time must also not only be calculated based on the outpatient's condition but also on each of the medical treatments received. Affirmative action from physicians is expected, especially for improving consultation waiting time.
