Michael L. Davies, MD

Greater telephone wait times, but not abandonment rates, were associated with lower patient perceptions of their ability to obtain urgent care in a timely manner.

Given that accountable care organizations (ACOs) will be rated on patient experience and wait times for specialist consults are associated with patient satisfaction, ACOs should monitor this process.

Medicare payment reforms require valid measures of high-quality healthcare. Different types of administrative wait time measures predicted glycated hemoglobin levels for new and returning patients.