Use of "Finding Cards" to Improve Relative Experience on Arrival at an Emergency Department

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Administration
• Patient Experience Improvement
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Arriving at an emergency department (ED) can be a disorienting and overwhelming experience for relatives seeking a patient.
• Navigating the complex layout of an ED can lead to anxiety and difficulty in locating family members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the effectiveness of
• Finding Cards
• a novel tool designed to enhance the experience of relatives in the ED.
• To assess the impact of Finding Cards on reducing interruptions for clinical staff and improving patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a simple, bespoke
• Finding Card
• system for relatives upon arrival at the ED.
• Observational assessment of the card's utility in aiding relatives to find patients and interact with staff.

Main Results:

• Finding Cards help relatives feel less overwhelmed and more confident in locating patients.
• The tool empowers relatives to seek assistance from staff, improving their sense of ease.
• Clinical staff experience fewer interruptions, potentially enhancing patient safety.

Conclusions:

• The
• Finding Card
• is a cost-effective and simple solution to improve the relatives' experience in the ED.
• This tool can be easily replicated in other large emergency departments to streamline wayfinding and reduce clinical workflow disruptions.