We all know what this means when we hear “Continue to sit down the seat- you will call back soon.” You sit in a row of stiff chairs surrounded by outdated magazines, TV not watched and the buzz of conversations from others. For patients, it’s more than just waiting – it’s a moment of anxiety, discomfort and even fear. However, health care continues to see wait as passive time rather than a key part of the nursing journey.
As an experience designer, I learned that this experience is by no means just the moment when nursing begins. It's about the sum of interactions between size and size, which all affect how people feel in space. So why do we design waiting areas in a way that makes people feel forgotten?
Why waiting experience is important
In their books Choice Questions: How healthcare consumers make decisions, Gordon Moore et al. Thinking that healthcare choices won't happen in a vacuum – they span moments of fragility and trust. People not only respond to facts, but also respond to their feelings. The sterile waiting room tells patients that they are just another name on the chart. Thoughtful, calm space sends a different signal: You are important.
A 2023 hospital outpatient study found that actual waiting time does not bring satisfaction – perception is indeed the case. Satisfaction increases when people feel that waiting is fair or expected. This means that design, communication and sensory cues can reshape the perceived waiting experience even if the clock is not moving.
Which airport lounges become correct
Healthcare should get tips from airport lounges – a space designed to support people during the inevitable waiting period. The lounge realizes that waiting is not omnipotent. They offer choice and autonomy: quiet corners, work pods for rest, productivity, family areas and refreshments.
One of my favorite examples is LGA’s new Chase Sapphire lounge – with careful consideration of lighting, acoustics and seating to help travelers feel relaxed and cared for. No one celebrates a delayed flight, but the well-designed airport lounge can reduce the blow and make frustration almost enjoyable.
Healthcare bets are even higher than travel. Patients can become sick, vulnerable, overwhelmed and anxious. Like a lounge, healthcare spaces should meet people emotionally, mentally and physically.
Apply these courses to healthcare
If the lounge can enhance stressful travel days, why can’t the healthcare environment do this during an anxious appointment? We can start by borrowing the same mindset: waiting for something different.
Adults waiting for test results may need privacy, not distraction. Parents with sick children (or sick parents with children) may need a quiet corner. A daughter who comes off work to accompany her mother may need a place to insert and regroup. Areas designed to acknowledge these emotional and practical differences are not only part of the care, but also part of the care.
Likewise, perception shapes satisfaction. People feel – about their own environment, control, trust – all of which shapes the way they care. When people feel neglected or out of sight in the waiting room, it creates emotional friction even before the date begins.
But we can start making changes through small but intentional steps. Better lighting. More comfortable and flexible seating. Suitable for privacy, quiet or focused areas. Digital tools such as waiting time trackers, mobile signatures or text updates can provide patients with autonomy and clarity. Even subtle touches (soothing visual effects, healthy content, ambient sounds or neutral scents) can change how people feel in the environment.
These are more than just features or amenities. They are trust building tools.
Retrieve the waiting experience
Waiting doesn't have to feel like you're losing time. It can be reshaped as a meaningful part of the care experience. Someone said, “We meet you, we are here to serve you.” These are moments to build trust before speaking to clinicians.
As experienced designers, we know that the smallest interaction can often lead to the heaviest emotional weight. When we apply these lenses to the waiting experience, we can not only improve a space, but also humanize it.
At a time when so much health care feels beyond the control of the patient, waiting space is where we can recycle with empathy, intention and design, reflecting what people really need.
Photos: izusek, Getty Images
As a senior experienced designer at Langrand, Mary Doeling transforms complex healthcare challenges into human-centered experiences. Mary draws her spirit from deep consumer empathy and design thinking, solutions that are both elegant and emotionally resonant. Mary’s passion for weaving engaging stories and creating meaningful work by designing makes health care more human to everyone.
This article passed Mixed Influencer program. Anyone can post a view on MedCity News' healthcare business and innovation through MedCity Remacence. Click here to learn how.
