Beyond the clock: Improving the human experience of waiting in healthcare (The Beryl Institute, 24 June 2026)

Summary

This white paper from the Beryl Institute examines one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: waiting.

Grounded in insights from their Community Council and healthcare leaders from around the world, this report reveals the innovative ways organisations are addressing the experience of waiting. The findings suggest that organisations making the greatest progress are those reframing wait times through two interconnected lenses:

1. An operational lens: Improving operational flow and reducing unnecessary delays.
2. A human lens: Improving the human experience of waiting itself.

Packed with 48 strategies shared by over 30 global leaders, learn how organizations are working to reduce unnecessary delays while also improving how the wait is experienced by patients and families through communication, transparency, empathy, and coordinated care delivery.