Whether you are in a waiting room for a doctor, a dentist, counselor, or even a physiotherapist, nobody really enjoys being in a waiting room. As a result of the associated stress with being in a waiting room, how you design your space matters! You want to have a clean, well-designed, and comfortable area that helps keep people at ease.
Here are 7 easy ways to help improve your waiting room design.
1. Have A Basic Refreshments Area
Having a basic refreshments area can make a world of difference. It does not have to be anything fancy to be effective, consider having a tea and coffee station with some individually wrapped biscuits on offer. Having a water station is also a good idea, as stress can leave you parched. A small act such as this can be very effective, as what better way to de-stress in a waiting room than with a cup of tea and a biscuit. It makes the experience a tad more leisurely and less intense.
2. Comfortable Seating And Clever Arrangement
The seating in a waiting room deserves a lot of attention, as, at the end of the day, everyone will be using the seating. You will want chairs to be comfortable, to have a range of different types of seating, and for these to be organized in a space-efficient manner. Consider using bariatric chairs as these are larger chairs that cope with a heavier workload. They are also more comfortable as they tend to be wider and having a taller back for leaning on. Do not underestimate the importance of having a comfortable chair, the last thing patients need is to be sitting in small, hard, lumpy chairs to add to their stress.
How you place your chairs is also important, you will want to have some that are clustered together, for those waiting in groups, for example, families. Then you will want to have some spaced out on their own, for people who want to be alone and away from any groups. Particularly with the pandemic, socially distanced chairs will probably be a requirement for waiting rooms.
3. Add A Play Area For Children
Having a play area for children benefits both the kids and the adults. The children have something to distract themselves with and playing with toys can reduce anxiety for the child. It also reduces anxiety and stress for the adults, as firstly, their child isn’t running around causing havoc, and secondly, watching their child relax will always help the parent relax. For the patients without kids, they can happily sit themselves away from the play area giving them a safe distance away from any potential noise and disturbances. A play area can also be greatly beneficial in preventing any health and safety hazards, as it keeps children contained and not running around risking falling over or hurting themselves.
A pro tip is to be smart with what you use to kit out your children’s area as you will want it to be easy to clean and disinfect. For example, harder toys are much easier to clean and maintain than soft toys. Make your life easier and ensure all toys can be cleaned quickly and easily at the end of the day.
4. Add Artwork And Interesting Decor
Adding artwork and interesting decor adds a nice touch for any waiting room. It gives people something to look at and allows their minds to wander as opposed to focusing on just waiting. There has been lots of research on the effects of artwork, and typically patients prefer nature-themed and landscape artwork as opposed to portraits and abstract art. Adding interesting decor will have the same effect, and will grab the attention of the patient. So interesting furniture, murals on the wall and any accessories dotted around the waiting room will catch the attention of a patient.
Plants are also a great addition to any waiting room as they are thought to have a calming effect on people.
5. Charging Stations and Free Wifi
Offering small luxuries such as charging stations and free wifi will be greatly appreciated. You can pretty much count on people to use their phone as their number one source of distraction, so to help enable them to do so, free wifi will be a game-changer. Additionally, to save any stress or worries that people might have about their phone dying, having a charging station will eradicate any phone battery-related stress.
6. Divide Your Waiting Room Into ‘Zones’
Dividing your waiting room into zones can make space feel bigger, more organized, and more welcoming. You can divide your waiting room into the following zones, the play area, seating for groups, seating for individuals, and a refreshments area. Be strategic and do not over-pack any areas or create zones for the sake of it. Everything in your waiting room should have a purpose, so avoid any unnecessary clutter.
If you require some inspiration, consider taking advice from innovative workplace designs as these are continuously changing and adapting for the needs and comfort of people.
7. Offer Crosswords, Puzzles, Magazines To Kill Time
Not everyone will want to just scroll through their phone as they wait, so providing crosswords, puzzles, magazines, etc will act as a great source of entertainment and distraction. Offering these small things will also make the patient feel thought of, which can be soothing. This is a very inexpensive act that can have a big impact on those using your waiting room. Keep these up to date, as nobody wants to come in and read an old ratty magazine from four years ago.
A waiting room experience is vital, as it will decide how people feel about your practice and whether or not they will return. Every improvement, small or large will make a difference as to how your patients feel when they are in your practice. So the more comfortable you can make people feel, the more positive of an experience it can be.
