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The left-without-being-seen patients: what would keep them from leaving?
Katherine W Arendt1, Annie T Sadosty, Amy L Weaver
1Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55902, USA. Arendt.katherine@mayo.edu
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|August 29, 2003
Summary
Emergency departments (EDs) can reduce patients leaving without being seen by providing frequent wait time updates and immediate temporary treatments. These services may encourage patients to wait longer for physician evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Patients leaving emergency departments (EDs) without being seen is a significant issue impacting patient flow and care.
- Understanding patient perspectives is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate this problem.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific services an ED could offer to increase patient willingness to wait longer before being seen by a physician.
- To inform strategies aimed at reducing the rate of patients leaving without being seen (LWBS).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study involving telephone surveys of patients who left the ED without being seen.
- Surveyed patients on the potential helpfulness of 15 specific ED services.
- Included adult patients and minors with parental consent.
Main Results:
- Nearly 85% of surveyed patients indicated that more frequent updates on wait times would have encouraged them to wait longer.
- Over 70% identified the availability of immediate temporary treatments as a helpful service.
- Other services were considered helpful by less than half of the respondents.
Conclusions:
- Improved communication regarding estimated wait times is a key factor in patient retention.
- Offering immediate treatments for minor conditions could decrease the likelihood of patients leaving without being seen.
- Implementing these strategies may improve patient satisfaction and ED efficiency.