Average in-office waiting time ideally should not exceed 15 minutes from the scheduled appointment time. This includes time spent in the waiting and examination rooms prior to being seen by the provider. It is understood that providers may be delayed in urgent cases, when a serious problem is found with a prior patient, or when a prior patient requires more services or education than expected. In such cases, the patient should be promptly notified and given the option of waiting or rescheduling.