Is wait a hard word for the patient? The impact of waiting time on revisit decisions in patients with respiratory infectious diseases in the post-epidemic era — findings from fever clinics in China

In the post-pandemic era, seasonal surges of respiratory infectious diseases in China have placed sustained pressure on hospital fever clinics, often resulting in prolonged waiting times. Although extended waits are typically associated with patient dissatisfaction, many patients continue to seek care at tertiary hospitals, presenting an apparent paradox. This study examines the relationships between waiting time, perceived service quality, patient satisfaction, and revisit intention in the post-pandemic era. A mixed-methods design was employed between November and December 2023. Study 1 conducted text mining on 595 public comments from social media platforms to identify salient themes in public discourse. Study 2 surveyed 357 patients attending fever clinics and tested a structural equation model to examine associations among key variables. Study 3 used semi-structured interviews to provide interpretive insights into the quantitative findings. Text analysis indicated that public discussions of respiratory infectious diseases in the post-pandemic period increasingly emphasize diagnostic procedures and professional medical practices, with attention to fever clinics intensifying during peak influenza seasons. Quantitative results showed that perceived waiting time was not significantly associated with patient satisfaction (β = -0.018, P = 0.565 > 0.1, R2 = 0.032), perceived service quality demonstrated a strong positive association (β = 0.814, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.656). Patient satisfaction was positively associated with revisit intention (β = 0.631, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.398) and mediated the relationship between service quality and revisit intention (indirect effect = 0.311, 95% CI [0.148, 0.47]). Qualitative interviews further indicated that patients tend to prioritize diagnostic accuracy and overall care experience over the inconvenience associated with waiting. The findings suggest that, in the context of respiratory infectious disease care, patient satisfaction and revisit intention are more closely associated with perceived service quality than with waiting time alone. Patients appear willing to tolerate longer waits when these are accompanied by reassurance, diagnostic certainty, and trust in medical professionals. These results underscore the importance of understanding how waiting is experienced and interpreted by patients, rather than focusing exclusively on its duration.