The Importance of Reducing wait times in the emergency department
In the past five decades, the number of patient deaths and casualties have increased due to the rise in wait times in the emergency department. It has been observed that the lack of time management and emergency care facilities have increased the number of patient deaths associated with delayed treatment. It is important to reduce the wait times in the emergency department. The introduction of real-time interactive services has improved the facilities in the ER department. Many patients, ambulance services, and mobile emergency units are informed about the real-time burden and number of patients admitted in the ER department. Many ER units save time on patient registration and monitoring services. The current state of ER departments has improved significantly in the past ten years. Improved laboratory services and sample collection techniques have reduced the waiting period in ER departments in the US. The reduction in wait times in the emergency department is associated with a reduction in stress in hospital staff, nurses and ER healthcare professionals.
The improvement in the emergency department have direct impacts on the health of patients who have arrived due to an accident or emergency health issue. Reduction in waiting times has been associated with increased life-expectancy of victims who have suffered from blood loss, stroke or a major heart attack. The cost associated with medications is said to have decreased due to the reduction in waiting times in the emergency department. There has been a 40% reduction in the waiting time in the ER departments of major US hospitals. Well trained, and experiences staff are associated with the reduction of waiting times in the emergency department. Fast-tract systems have been introduced in more than 70% of ER departments in the United States. Effective communication with patients and hospital staff has had major impacts in the waiting period. The paper highlights the importance of reduction of wait times in the emergency department. The paper also highlights the key strategies that are involved in the improvement of the ED. (Weiner, G., S. 2013).
The effects of wait times in the emergency department
The effects of wait times in the emergency department are observed in the patients, staff, and clients associated with the treatment and management of the ER department. Patients who arrive at the ER department are associated with severe health conditions. Most of the patients suffer from stress, mental trauma and physical health problems associated with the accident/incident. Patients (accident case victims) suffer the most from waiting times in the ER department. Most patients suffer from blood loss that is associated with organ failure or death. Patients are considered to be the main sufferers due to wait times in the ER department. In the case of natural calamities, havoc and distress are observed among patients (victims) and their family members. The lack of a well-organized system would delay early treatment of the patient, Patients who have suffered from a major stroke or heart attack have least chances of survival. There is minimal survival rate in the event of a natural calamity (since the number of patients in the ER is significantly high). (Weiner, G., S. 2013).
The staff in the ER suffer from stress due to the high number of patients in a natural calamity. If the ER staff are not well-trained, the amount of stress levels is said to increase significantly with an increase in the number of patients in the ER department. ED crowding has direct impacts on the ED staff and associated healthcare professionals. (Bigdeli, M., et al; 2010)
Clients are regarded as those professionals who deal with the monitoring and data collection of the patient’s health status. Clients associated with the ED have to deal with a large number of specimens and samples in the event of a calamity or epidemic. Clients have to deal with a large number of data and provide results in a short span of time. The lack of advanced monitoring system could hamper ED services and increase the stress levels in most of the clients. It is important that all sectors of the ED are maintained and kept up-to-date. The effects of waiting times can have effects to all members associated in the emergency department. (Jones P., & Schimanski K. 2010).
The current state of wait times in the emergency department
The current state of wait times in the emergency department has improved compared to the scenario in the past ten years. There has been significant advancements in the ER department to treat patients. There has been a 40% reduction in the waiting time in the ER departments of major US hospitals. Well-trained, and experienced staff are associated with the reduction of waiting times in the emergency department. Fast-tract systems have been introduced in more than 70% of ER departments in the United States. Effective communication with patients and hospital staff has had major impacts in the waiting period. (LaCalle, E., & Rabin E. 2010).
The introduction of real-time interactive services has improved the facilities in the ER department. Many patients, ambulance services, and mobile emergency units are informed about the real-time burden and number of patients admitted in the ER department. Many ER units save time on patient registration and monitoring services. The current state of ER departments has improved significantly in the past ten years. Improved laboratory services and sample collection techniques have reduced the waiting period in ER departments in the US. However, many developing nations have not improved the ER departments due to the lack of facilities and low financial input. For example, the number of ER-related deaths has increased in the past ten years in India. The lack of a well-trained staff, high number of ER patients, and lack of fast-tract systems are primary reasons of increased waiting times. On the other hand, significant improvement has been observed in the European nations and the United States. (Jones P., & Schimanski K. 2010).
Approach to strategize and improve (reduce) the wait times in the emergency department: There are many methods to reduce the wait times in the emergency department. It is important to reduce wait times to improve patient health and decrease stress among healthcare professionals. One of the best strategies has been listed here below to reduce the wait times in the emergency department. (Bigdeli, M., et al; 2010)
Stop the practice of boarding patients: Healthcare professionals and ER members should ensure that patients are provided immediate medical attention. The traditional method of making patients wait in the ER room until a bed is available should be avoided. Practices like quick boarding of patients will ensure fast medical intervention and prevent overcrowding in the ER department. (Hwang, U., et al; 2011)
Register patients at bedside: The registration procedure at bedside would reduce the time and waiting period spent in the ER department. It would facilitate fast treatment of patients.
Redirect non-emergent patients to outside care providers: More than 70% of patients in the ER department are associated with non-emergent cases. It is possible to reduce the wait times in the ER department by shifting non-emergent patients to outside care providers.
System to fast-track patients with minor needs through the diagnosis and treatment process: The establishment of a fast-tract system would ensure treatment of critical patients by experienced and trained nursing professionals. (Jones P., & Schimanski K. 2010).
Fast laboratory process and shortened specimen collection: Effective specimen collection by phlebotomists would ensure the reduction of waiting times in the ER department. The best method is to hire a well-trained staff of phlebotomists dedicated to peak emergency hours. The use of advanced monitoring technologies: There has been a significant increase in the use of advanced technologies for monitoring the intake of patients in the ER department. The ER department can provide real-time information on the number of patients and the burden on the ER department. (Hwang, U., et al; 2011)
Maximize emergency staff: The waiting times in the emergency department can be reduced to a significant extent by increasing the number of well-trained and experienced staff. The recruitment of on-call physicians and healthcare professionals would have a positive impact in the waiting times in the ER department. (Bigdeli, M., et al; 2010)
References
Jones P., & Schimanski K. (2010). The four hour target to reduce Emergency Department 'waiting time': a systematic review of clinical outcomes. Emerg Med Australas. 2010 Oct;22(5):391-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2010.01330.x. Epub 2010 Sep 29. Retrieved: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20880296
Hwang, U., Weber, EJ., Richardson, LD., Sweet, V., Todd, K., & Abraham, G., (2011). A research agenda to assure equity during periods of emergency department crowding. Acad Emerg Med. 2011; 18:1318–23.
Bigdeli, M., Khorasani-Zavareh, D., & Mohammadi R. (2010). Pre-hospital care time intervals among victims of road traffic injuries in Iran. A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2010; 10:406.
Weiner, G., S. (2013). Advertising Emergency Department Wait Times. West J Emerg Med. Mar 2013; 14(2): 77–78.
LaCalle, E., & Rabin E. (2010). Frequent users of emergency departments: the myths, the data, and the policy implications. Ann Emerg Med. 2010; 6:42–48
