Exploring the Impact of Wait Time on Child Behavior in a Pediatric Dental Setting

Sarah M. Lipinski*, Morgan Simpson*, Hannah Brown*, Christopher K Owen, Lauren B. Quetsch, Kelly Hickey, Kelsey Eackles, Christa Lilly, Masahiro Heima, Cheryl B. McNeil, Daniel W. McNeil, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Field (Broad Category): Psychology (Behavioral & Social Sciences) 

Student’s Major: Psychology 

Longer waiting times before and during healthcare appointments have been shown to have negative impacts on patient satisfaction, patient-provider relations, and treatment adherence. Nearly all prior research, however, has focused on adults, leaving little known about the effects of wait time length on pediatric patient populations. Since children, in general, have shorter attention spans and lower frustration tolerance relative to adults, wait time is an especially important component of their healthcare experience, and that of their parents/caregivers, who are accompanying them and are responsible for their behavior. Given the frequency of child disruptive behaviors during dental appointments, this study sought to analyze the relation between child compliance during dental procedures and their amount of experienced wait time. Preventive and restorative dental appointments for 120 children under the age of six were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS). Dental providers completed the Frankl (1962) scale to evaluate the child’s behavior during treatment. The compliance codes of DPICS also were used to measure child behavior during treatment. The amount of wait time experienced was assessed using video recordings that spanned the time from child entry into the treatment room until first and later entry of various staff and providers (e.g., dental hygienist, dentist). Preliminary results suggest that spending a greater amount of waiting time during an appointment is correlated with Frankl scores suggesting less cooperative behaviors in young child dental patients (r’s > .30, p < .001). Future analysis should also examine parent/caregiver satisfaction and stress. 

Funding: NIH/NIDCR R21 Grant 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: Capstone Course Within Department