Dr. Jordan Greenbaum investigated the impact of wait time on patient satisfaction with an outpatient orthopaedic visit. The purpose of his study was to determine independent predictors of patient satisfaction with an outpatient orthopaedic visit. He designed a prospective cross-sectional study of 376 consecutive patients seen at a multi-specialty orthopaedic clinic over a two-week period. Time in the waiting room, time in the examination room, and time spent with the physician were measured in a blinded fashion, and patients completed an anonymous questionnaire. The mean waiting room time for all patients was 22.11 minutes, and 87% of patients were considered satisfied. Patient-rated quality of the waiting room, patient age, and patient type (established patients) had significant positive associations with patient satisfaction, while patient estimated wait time, actual measured time spent in the waiting room, and time spent in the exam room had significant inverse correlations with satisfaction. When controlling for age, patient type, and quality of the waiting room, every 10-minute decrease in patient estimated waiting time will increase the total satisfaction score by 0.47. On all analyses, age (older patients were more likely to be satisfied), patient estimated wait time (inversely correlated with satisfaction), and patient perceived quality of the waiting room (directly correlated with satisfaction) were found to be independent predictors of patient satisfaction. Dr. Greenbaum concluded that improving the quality of the waiting room and decreasing the wait time are likely to improve satisfaction. Further, he concluded that decreasing wait time may have a large impact on preventing dissatisfaction than on increasing satisfaction at the margins and that patients’ perceived wait time may be a more important determinant of satisfaction than their actual wait time.

Dr. Coleen Sabatini presented her thesis on bringing first world orthopaedics to the Dominican Republic through Operation Walk Boston. In April 2009, Dr. Sabatini represented the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program as an integral part of a volunteer surgical team whose mission is to provide world-class orthopaedic care to a resource-limited area. She and the team undertook the tremendous task of organizing all aspects of orthopaedic care, including arranging for surgical supplies and implants to be transported to the Dominican Republic and preparing educational lectures for local arthroplasty surgeons and orthopaedic surgery residents at the Plaza de la Salud Hospital. Rigorous patient selection began well before the team’s arrival, and preoperative clinics were conducted upon arrival of Operation Walk Boston in the Dominical Republic. The team operated at Plaza de la Salud Hospital, utilizing four operating rooms. Dr. Sabatini and Operation Walk Boston performed 55 total hip and knee replacements on 40 patients during their stay in the Dominican Republic. She presented several patients’ stories, demonstrating the great need for missions such as Operation Walk. Dr. Sabatini concluded by describing the future directions of her work, specifically outcomes research and increased resident involvement. She noted that there is strong interest in this program by residents in the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. Dr. Gottlieb applauded Dr. Sabatini’s passion displayed in her volunteer work with Operation Walk Boston and encouraged continued growth of the program.