First name, surname or number: How to call a patient in the waiting room?

摘要

In sexual health services the first interaction between providers and service users typically occurs when patients are called from the waiting area; getting the greeting right is thus important for the quality of the consultation.1 Confidentiality is one of the key functions sexual and reproductive health patients expect from our service2 and therefore some may choose to register under a pseudonym, rather than risk having their identity divulged. Calling patients by their first name could be perceived as unearned familiarity,3 calling patients by their surname may disclose their identity and calling patients by a number may be impersonal. It is not clear for general14 and sexual health services how best to address our service users and most services will have experienced complaints from patients about the way they have been called from the waiting room. This triggered us to undertake a needs assessment of our service users to determine their preferential way of being called from the waiting area.