Parent of a pediatrician here. Our kid would say big NO to that. Some parents do not want to expose their kids to TV/cartoons until TV becomes inescapable.
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In my former eye md’s office, they played a series of eye info videos. It got irksome, especially as it was the same videos every visit.
At my dentist, they have some home renovation or baking show with closed caption, no sound. Same at my lung md. At my internist, there is no tv and generally very short wait, if any.
I prefer NO news, as so little of it is cheerful. If there is news on, I try to face away from the screen. I agree there’s no need to cater to any particular patient but do feel the news or anything religious is more likely to upset folks than something like food shows or the GI doc has a silent slide show of beautiful color photos of his travels. Sometimes his patients contribute their photos too.
I’m fine with the food or the travel photos. Prefer not to have the home Reno shows as they’re depressing because prices here are so so high.
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Note that CNN (and more obviously Fox and MSNBC) freely mixes political opinion guest speakers and programs with news reporting. Although even neutrally reported news can be offensive to some people whose political world view is contradicted by it, the political opinion guest speakers and shows significantly increase the likelihood of someone being offended. The hype-for-outrage tendency in both news reporting and political opinions on television news is another factor that can annoy people.
The only time you might find offending customers desirable is if you want to drive some of them away (e.g. show stuff like reminders to get your vaccinations in order to drive anti-vaccination types away to reduce the threat of communicable diseases that they may bring in).
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I think any “forced” programming should be as neutral as possible. We all have leisure time where we can watch or listen to whatever we want. Any ambient tv or music has the presumed intent of being a distraction or, in the case of the endodontist referenced above, to put a patient at ease. Things that can be polarizing seem counterintuitive.
My GP plays Food Network but my cardiologist in the same medical group but across the hall shows HGTV because they say it’s too hard to talk about healthy eating habits when Guy Fieri is chowing down on greasy burgers. I travel everywhere with a good book so I don’t really care about the waiting room AND I can bring it into the exam room where I end up waiting even longer.
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Wow, I had no idea that TVs were so ubiquitous I doctors’ offices. That’s not the case in Maine. I don’t recall seeing a single TV here.
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My kids’ orthodontist had a slide show running on TVs in the waiting room. Some of it was ads for his practice, dental care in general, etc. But some of them were pics of his high priced vacations. Wasn’t something I would have done. But my kids teeth look great so its all good.
One of my dad’s doctors has tv screens with wait times on it. Never seen a doctor listed that wasn’t “On time” yet still wait at least 15-20 mins past appt time so I am not sure the point. If you define “On time” as no more than 30 or 60 minutes late, its no very helpful (at least not to the patients).
If we learned nothing else on here (and I think most people knew this long before finding this site) we know that no matter what you do, someone won’t like it, will be offended, etc. Do what makes sense for you and move forward.
My dentist has a cooking channel in each exam room, every other office has HGTV.
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I don’t go to the doctor’s office to be entertained so frankly I don’t care if they have a TV or if it’s set to something I like or don’t like. I’ll watch it or not watch depending on my preferences. I’m much more concerned with my experience with my doctor.
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I don’t know if it’s regional, but I don’t think I’ve ever been to an office without at least one.
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Wow.
I can’t answer your question as I don’t work in the medical field, however we have had our share of doctors visits. As a patient, I don’t ask if the Children’s Hospital can change Caillou because I don’t like it. So I feel it absurd for an adult to ask the same question. I do not like how the world is starting to cater to one person’s complaint. Leave it on CNN.
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I’d leave if CNN were on too. Personally turn it off and get a good variety of magazines to replace it. Throw kid magazines like Hi-Lights in too.
Why are people waiting 30 min?
The wait would bug me way more than what’s on the TV. If I was waiting 30 minutes every time I needed an allergy shot, I’d find a new practice.
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I always take a book with me.
Whenever I see a TV in any place outside of someone’s home (restaurant/doctor office, etc), I prefer a network news station or something politically neutral such as HGTV (or sports). I personally have requested the channel be changed if FOX News is on. And I have been known to leave if it remains.
Oh, I do remember seeing a TV in one doctor’s office, but that was in Austin. Very interesting. My husband said he’s never seen a TV in a doctor’s office in Maine, either.
CNBC (financial news with stock ticker-tape ribbon running on the bottom of the screen) is neutral and should not offend anyone.
Otherwise just divide the waiting room in half & have two TVs–one on the left side and one on the right side.
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I’m not a fan of tv in waiting rooms. In my experience, it is a red flag that you are going to be waiting a long time! We used to go to an orthodontal practice where it was routine to wait upwards of an hour and they often had some sort of televangalism program showing. Between the packed waiting room, interminable wait and (to me) intolerable programming, I would leave there would my blood pressure through the roof. Needless to say as soon as my kid was out of braces, we left the practice.
That said, I guess if you’re going to have a tv in there, it should be tuned to something very neutral. In today’s very polarized political climate any cable news should be ruled out.
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The wait is after the allergy shot, to make sure that you dont have anaphylaxis, it is for the patient’s safety
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Any news channel is sort of anxiety producing - the exact opposite of what we want the waiting room to do in a medical office?
How about the weather?! 
Seriously, back in the day when the Weather Channel was newer and my kids were young that was the kind of white noise I didn’t mind. Kind of mindless to see the weather around the country.
I work with local pediatrician offices. One of the things we encourage is no tv in waiting rooms. Pre-Covid we actually trained volunteers to read and entertain children (puzzles, word games, etc.) in the waiting room - reduces the stress and models for parents how to talk, read and play with children in a positive way. Parents and kids love this model. Docs too because everyone is more calm upon exam room entry. Unfortunately with COVID volunteers have been removed from clinics and most reading material. Hope we get it back sometime because I’ve noticed a couple of tv’s fired up when visiting my offices!!!
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Got it!
If everyone is waiting for 30 minutes post shots, I would definitely make sure your TV is tuned to something more neutral.
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