What’s driving patients to switch doctors?

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

NEW RESEARCH IS REVEALING THE TOP HURDLES THAT SEND PATIENTS RUNNING TO A NEW DOCTOR. 

ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF 2,000 AMERICANS WHO’VE BEEN TO THE DOCTOR WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES TOPS THE LIST OF INSTANT DOCTOR’S OFFICE ‘TURN-OFFS.’

INABILITY TO SPEAK WITH A HUMAN BEING (48%) AND DIFFICULTY SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT (41%) ROUND OUT THE TOP THREE, THE DATA FROM KLARA REVEALED. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER TOO, AS IT TAKES JUST 20 MINUTES INTO AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE AVERAGE PATIENT TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY’LL COME BACK TO THAT DOCTOR.

ON AVERAGE, PEOPLE TYPICALLY WAIT ON HOLD FOR EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES WHEN CALLING A DOCTOR’S OFFICE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, THE SURVEY FOUND THAT THOSE SAME PEOPLE ARE ONLY WILLING TO WAIT ON HOLD FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE HANGING UP WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

WHEN DOES YOUR PATIENCE AS A PATIENT RUN OUT? WHAT ARE YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE TURN-OFFS? LET US KNOW!

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who’ve been seen by a doctor within the past year, who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Klara®, a ModMed® company and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 20 and May 23, 2025. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.