Survey example: Patient survey about wait times

This is an example of a Patient Wait Times survey built as a conversational AI survey—you can see and try the example right away.

Designing an effective Patient Wait Times survey is tough: getting detailed feedback from patients is critical, but most surveys fall flat or feel like a chore to fill out.

At Specific, we’re experts in creating patient surveys that actually work—every survey tool you see here is built by us with real conversational intelligence.

What is a conversational survey and why AI makes it better for patients

Traditional Patient Wait Times surveys—paper forms at the desk, endless digital checkboxes—aren’t just outdated, they often miss the real story. Most patients struggle to capture their full experience when faced with cold, generic questions.

Conversational surveys flip the script. Instead of presenting a static questionnaire, we use AI to build surveys that feel like a natural chat. This approach adapts the survey in real time, responding to patient input, following up on unclear details, and digging deeper exactly where it matters.

If you’ve ever been frustrated trying to get clear, actionable insight from basic forms, you’re not alone—and there’s data to back up why patient experience with wait times matters. Studies show that as wait times in healthcare settings increase, patient satisfaction drops sharply; patients who wait over 30 minutes are much more likely to report dissatisfaction[1]. That makes capturing honest, in-context feedback crucial for improvement.

Why use AI for patient surveys?

With an AI survey example like this, you get:

• Automated follow-ups for richer responses

• Dynamic adaptation for every patient

• Less bias, thanks to conversational tone

• Instant setup—no expert needed

Specific offers the best-in-class user experience for conversational surveys. The result? Patients actually complete the survey, share more detail, and the feedback is easy to understand for you and your team.

If you want to learn more about designing the right questions, see best questions for a patient wait times survey. For guidance on building your own, check our guide on how to create a patient wait times survey.

Automatic follow-up questions based on previous reply

With Specific, surveys go beyond a simple “How long did you wait?” Our AI listens closely to every patient response, instantly asking smart, context-aware follow-up questions—just like a skilled researcher would.

Here’s why this matters:

• You save hours, because you don’t have to follow up via email just to understand missing or vague answers.

• The feedback is richer. Studies from the Journal of Patient Experience found that even 15 extra minutes of wait time drops satisfaction[2], so capturing what actually happened for each patient—right there, in the moment—makes all the difference.

• The conversation feels warm and natural. People open up when they feel heard, not interrogated by a form.

Example:

• Patient: “The wait was pretty long.”

• AI follow-up: “Can you tell me about how long you waited, and how that affected your visit?”

Without follow-ups, feedback like “pretty long” gives you no real insight. The AI automatically clarifies—so you get real data, not guesswork. If you missed probing further, root causes for dissatisfaction could be completely overlooked.

Curious how this feels in practice? Try generating a survey and see the AI follow-ups in action, or check the full feature rundown on automatic AI follow-up questions.

Follow-ups make these surveys a true conversation, which is why we call them conversational surveys.

Easy editing, like magic

No need to wrestle with clunky survey builders or template libraries. With Specific’s AI survey editor, you simply describe the changes you want in plain language—just like chatting with a colleague. Want to add a severity scale question? Change the tone to sound even friendlier? You tell the AI, and it edits the survey in seconds with expert precision.

AI takes care of tedious formatting and logic, so you spend less time editing and more time acting on insights. Tweaking a question or adding new branches is as easy as sending a message.

How to deliver your patient wait times survey

It’s simple to reach patients however you need:

• Sharable landing page surveys: Great for after-visit follow-ups. Send a link via SMS, email, or printed QR code at checkout.

• In-product surveys: If you run a patient portal or mobile app, embed the survey directly for instant, context-rich feedback right after appointment check-ins or billing.

For patient wait times, both options work well: landing pages are perfect for after-visit outreach, while in-product surveys fit seamlessly in digital health platforms.

AI-powered analysis: see the real story in your responses

Once the feedback rolls in, AI survey analysis makes reporting painless. Specific’s AI survey response analysis automatically finds common themes, summarizes each story, and highlights what’s driving satisfaction or frustration—no spreadsheets needed. You can even chat with the AI to dive into details.

If you’re wondering how to turn these responses into action, check our deep-dive on how to analyze patient wait times survey responses with AI.

“Automated survey insights” and instant summary tools mean you immediately know where to focus, cutting days off your analysis process.

See this wait times survey example now

Experience exactly how a conversational, AI-driven patient survey works in practice. Get deeper, more honest feedback with far less effort—no more guessing, just the real picture from your patients.