Practice Management Alert

Chair material can also impact patient’s practice experience.

When you have the right atmosphere and décor in your practice’s waiting area, it can go a long way toward cutting down on your patient’s anxieties about visiting the physician.

Benefit: With just a few touches to your waiting area, your patients won’t only be soothed for the current visit; they’ll also be likely to leave the practice with a positive impression, which can be gold when securing future patient relationships.

Take a look at what these experts had to say about how to make decisions on furnishing your practice’s waiting area, and go that extra mile to make sure that patients feel positive when they enter and exit the practice.

‘Spa Colors’ Can Soothe Patient Nerves

Believe it or not, something as simple as the color of the walls in your waiting area could have a huge impact on how patients perceive your practice. These tastes can change with the times, however, and you need to keep your practice updated in order to match patient expectations.

“When we started our practice in 1992, teal green [waiting rooms] were all the rage,” reports Maria V. Ciletti, RN, who works as a medical administrator in Niles, Ohio, and is also a member of the American Medical Writers Association. That’s no longer the case, however, as medical offices today aim at “calming colors, like blue, cream, and sea foam green, in soft shades,” she says.

Harlene S. Stevens, CPA, a manager at Nisivoccia LLP in Mt. Arlington, N.J., agrees with Ciletti, saying that waiting areas should favor soft, spa-like colors.

Remember: In your waiting area, “you want to provide a calming space. Stay away from bright reds, orange, or yellow,” Ciletti says.  

Cleanliness Next to Godliness When Considering Carpeting

Once you’ve decided on the color of the walls, you can choose fabric for your furniture and carpeting for the floor. Experts agree that the upholstery fabric and carpeting you choose should be durable and easily cleaned. 

“Carpeting should be [designed] for high-traffic volume in the waiting room,” explains Catherine Brink, BS, CMM, CPC, CMSCS, CPOM, president of Healthcare Resource Management Inc. in Spring Lake, N.J. You can choose standard colors for your carpeting, such as tan, gray, or beige. If you’re looking for an alternative, Brink recommends multi-colored or patterned carpet, which can minimize the appearance of wear and tear better than many monochrome or patternless color schemes.

If you aren’t interested in the carpet route, you might look into laminate flooring, which Ciletti recommends. “Carpet … is nice, but it can get stained and show wear and tear, especially in high-traffic areas. Laminate may be a better choice. Laminate is durable and easy to clean,” Ciletti says.

Choose An Easily Cleaned Upholstery Fabric

When considering furniture upholstery for the waiting area, it “should be stain-resistant and color-coordinated with carpet and walls,” Brink says.

“You want to stay away from fabrics like cotton or wool that stain easily. A great number of waiting room furniture is made with waterproof and stainproof fabric,” explains Ciletti. “The fabric is PVC-free polyurethane, but feels like fabric. It’s easy to clean and I highly recommend it,” she says.

Stevens says that your upholstery needs to be easily cleaned, but also as comfortable as possible for patients sitting in the chairs. In addition to standard upholstery materials, she’s even seen upholstery “fabric that looks and feels like leather ‘vegan’ material that can be wiped down and cleaned.”

So when it comes to the upholstery fabric for your practice, there are several options. The bottom line is that keeping your practice’s furniture and flooring clean is very important, and often synthetic materials are the way to go.