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Waiting in the emergency department
J H Havill1, S Van Alphen, S Fairweather
1Emergency Department, Waikato Hospital.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|May 10, 1996
Summary
Thirty-seven percent of emergency department patients experienced extended wait times. Delays were often due to staffing, testing, or treatment, with many patients unaware of the reasons for their wait.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Operations
Background:
- Emergency departments (EDs) face challenges managing patient flow and wait times.
- Understanding patient experiences regarding wait times is crucial for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate emergency department (ED) waiting times.
- To identify primary reasons for patient delays.
- To assess patient comprehension of these delays.
Main Methods:
- Collected data on ED patients over a 7-week period.
- Focused analysis on patients exceeding 30 minutes in the waiting room or 2 hours total ED time.
- Recorded reasons for delays and surveyed patient awareness.
Main Results:
- 37% of patients experienced extended waits (average 175 minutes).
- Key delay factors included physician availability (42%), diagnostic tests (16%), and treatment duration (12%).
- Only 47% of patients understood the reasons for their wait.
Conclusions:
- While some extended waiting is unavoidable, unnecessary delays are prevalent.
- Improving facilities, staff deployment, and streamlining testing can reduce delays.
- Increased observation wards and specialist treatments will impact ED wait times, necessitating clear public communication.