Waitlist questions that show what patients need while they wait
Ask patients on your waitlist how the wait is going, from updates and the timeline to short notice slots. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What waitlist survey questions tell you
Waitlist survey questions ask patients who haven't been seen yet about the wait itself: how long it has been, whether they were given a rough date, how often they hear from you and what would make the wait easier. A patient who hears nothing for months may assume they have been forgotten, and a short update can change how the whole wait feels.
Ask a few weeks after a patient joins the waitlist and then every few months, by email to the patients on the list, and keep it to four or five questions. The short notice and contact questions can help fill cancellations, as long as your team acts on them. Keep the survey on the wait and never the condition: Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, so keep the placeholder that asks for no medical details.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a category, a theme, a sentiment and an urgency. In the inbox, each response gets an owner and a status, so an answer that needs a reply reaches someone who can look at the list.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- A few weeks after joining, then every few months
- Industry
- Healthcare
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 waiting lists questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
The wait so far
Start with how long patients have waited and what they were told, so you can see how honest your timelines feel.
- 01Ruler
How many weeks have you been waiting so far?
Weeks waited so far, on a ruler up to 78. Results shows the median and the middle half; use it to read how the other answers change as the wait grows longer.
- 02Yes / No
Were you told roughly how long the wait would be?
A yes or no on being told roughly how long the wait would be. Results shows the share that said yes; each No is a patient with nothing to plan around.
- 10Multiple choice
How were you told about the wait?
How the patient was told about the wait, including I was not told. Results shows each share in a donut; read I was not told with the timeline question.
- 11Stars
How honest did the timeline you were given feel?
A star rating for how honest the timeline felt. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher; low ratings call for more realistic dates.
Updates and contact
These questions show how often patients hear from you and whether they feel kept in mind between updates.
- 04Multiple choice
How often do you hear from us while you wait?
How often the patient hears from you, from never to more than monthly. Results shows each share in a donut; read Never with the coping score to see what silence costs.
- 05Customer effort
How easy is it to check where you are in the line?
A customer effort score for checking a place in line, on a 7 point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy; low scores are a reason to post status updates in your portal.
- 13Matrix
How true are these while you wait?
Four statements, from knowing what happens next to feeling kept in mind, rated from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The heat map shows which one pulls the experience down.
- 14Text
What update would you most want while you wait?
The open question on the update patients want most. Use the themes to write your next waitlist letter, and keep the placeholder asking for no medical details.
Filling short notice slots
Ask who would take a slot at short notice and how to reach them, and who is close to leaving the list.
- 08Yes / No
Would you take a short notice slot if one came up?
A yes or no on taking a short notice slot. Patients who say yes form your cancellation list; ask the contact question next and skip it for patients who say no.
- 09Contact
Where should we reach you if a slot opens up?
Collects a name and an email for when a slot opens, shown in Results as a table. Usertick doesn't send these offers, so pass the list to the team that books cancellations.
- 12Yes / No
Have you looked at paying to be seen sooner?
A yes or no on looking at paying to be seen sooner. The share that said yes shows how many patients are close to leaving your list.
Making the wait easier
End with how patients are coping and what would help, so you know which kind of support to add first.
- 03Big scale
How well are you coping with the wait?
How well the patient is coping with the wait, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; keep the wording on the wait, and add no question about symptoms.
- 06Ranking
Rank what would make the wait easier
Patients put five kinds of help in order, from a rough date to a cancellation list. Results shows the average place per item, which tells you which update to build first.
- 07Text
What is hardest about the wait?
The open question on the hardest part of the wait. The placeholder asks for no medical details; filter by theme to see whether uncertainty, work or travel comes up most.
Tips for asking about waiting lists
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask more than once
Ask a few weeks after a patient joins and then every few months, since the hardest part of a wait changes as it grows.
- 02
Keep the condition out
Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, so ask about the wait, the updates and the timeline, never the condition. Keep the placeholder asking for no medical details.
- 03
Act on short notice answers
Pass every Yes on short notice slots and the contact table to the team that books cancellations, and use them that week.
- 04
Send an update with the survey
Open the survey email with a short update on the list, so patients hear something even before they answer.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about waiting lists
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
A few weeks after they join, then every few months. Usertick sends to a contact list now or on a date up to 30 days ahead and has no recurring sends, so schedule each round yourself.
Yes. Ask whether the patient would take a short notice slot, then collect a name and email with the contact question. Your team books the slot; Usertick doesn't send the offer.
Four or five: the weeks so far, whether a timeline was given, how often patients hear from you, the ranking of help and an open question.
Leave that out. Usertick doesn't sign business associate agreements, so ask about the wait and the updates, and ask patients to contact your team directly if their situation changes.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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