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Healthcare Management vocabulary · Patient Flow and Capacity

Waiting time

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

nounCore term

In healthcare management, waiting time means: The time a patient has to wait for care, for example from arrival to being seen in the emergency department, or from referral to surgery.

In Turkish: bekleme süresi

How it is used

One of the most closely watched indicators in healthcare. Managers measure, publish and reduce waiting times and set targets for them, usually reported as a median or as the share of patients seen within a target time.

Example sentences

  1. The average waiting time for an MRI scan is now three weeks.

  2. Patients complain about waiting times more than about anything else.

Common collocations

  • reduce waiting times
  • average waiting time
  • waiting time target
  • long waiting times
  • waiting listA list of patients who are waiting for an appointment, test or operation, usually ordered by clinical priority and the date they were added.
  • KPIShort for key performance indicator: a measurable value, such as waiting time or infection rate, that shows how well a hospital or team is meeting its goals.
  • triageThe quick assessment of patients when they arrive, to decide how urgently each one needs care and where they should be treated.
  • patient experienceEverything patients go through and feel when they receive care, from booking and communication to cleanliness, dignity and the way staff treat them.

More terms: Patient Flow and Capacity

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.