Emergency department (ED) wait time is one of the several factors that determine a patient’s ED experience. Depending on the length of wait times, patients may be satisfied or unsatisfied with their ED experience. Often long wait times lead to patient’s dissatisfaction with the services, while shorter wait times have been documented to improve the patient’s experience (Sonis et al., 2018). The inclination towards shorter waiting times in the EDs has led to the emergence of a new trend amongst hospitals, the advertisement of wait times. Although the research in this area is scanty, various professionals argue that such a move has both positive and negative consequences on the patients and the hospital systems. The purpose of this paper is to look into some of the positive and negative consequences that arise out of advertising EDs wait times. Besides, the paper delves into some of the ways that can be used to improve patients’ ED experience.
The members of the Emergency Medicine Practice Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) provided an elaborate discussion of some of the positive and negative consequences that may arise out of advertising wait times in EDs. The members cited positive consequences to individual EDs, hospital systems, and patients (ACEP, 2012). A notable positive consequence to EDs and health institutions is that the advertisement of wait times serves as a useful marketing tool that can attract more patients if an ED has short wait times. Higher patient volumes translate into higher revenues for the health institution (ACEP, 2012; Weiner, 2013). Another positive consequence to the health institutions is that short waits may help create goodwill from the community and improve an institution’s reputation. Advertising ED wait times has also been cited to be beneficial to hospital systems that operate several EDs in a particular geographical location (ACEP, 2012). The advertisement of the wait times influences patients to check into EDs with shorter wait times, thereby helping to decrease the pressure on overburdened EDs.
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Another of the positive consequences of advertising wait times is that the move offers patients the ability to chose EDs that have short wait times (ACEP, 2012). Another of the positive consequence to patients is that in less dire cases, patients may postpone visiting the ED until the wait times improve. Such a move has the additional benefit of relieving EDs a lot of pressure during peak times. Lastly, advertising of the wait times helps to psychologically prepare patients, family, and friends of the expected delays.
Advertising wait times in EDs does come with its negative consequences. One of the negative consequences occurs when health institutions advertise short and desirable wait times, yet they cannot handle increased patient volumes. Such a move attracts additional patients who may overwhelm the facilities creating an unpleasant experience (ACEP, 2012). Such an outcome may hurt the hospital’s reputation to the public. The wait times may also become increased contrary to the patients’ expectations. One of the significant negative consequences of advertising ED wait times to patients seeking services involves an effect on the patient’s safety (ACEP, 2012). Patients are inclined to check into facilities with short wait times. Patients may drive for long distances in search of facilities with short wait times. If the patient has a time-critical emergent condition, they nay become incapacitated or even die before reaching their desired ED (Weiner, 2013). Another scenario on the patient’s safety involves a compromise of the quality of care and assessments by health providers in an attempt to lessen the wait times (ACEP, 2012). Such a move may jeopardize the patient’s health and lead to negative health outcomes.
Patients’ experience in the EDs is not limited to the wait times. A range of other factors, such as staff-patient communication, empathy, and compassion, are crucial determinants of a patient’s experience (Sonis et al., 2017). Consequently, one of the ways that can be used to improve patients’ experience in the ED involves improving staff-patient communication mechanisms. The improvement in communication can be undertaken by employing some customer service skills such as greetings and active listening (McCraw, 2017). Informing patients of the developments in their health and the treatment that they are to receive and the care delays is also essential. Another way to improve the patient’s experience involves being empathetic to their situations. Kindness and respect are also important values. They make the patients feel loved and give them the impression that they will receive the best of care.
References
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). (2012). Publishing wait times for emergency department care: An information paper. Report, American College of Emergency Physicians, Baltimore . Retrieved 12 September 2020, from
https://www.acep.org/globalassets/uploads/uploaded-files/acep/clinical-and-practice-management/resources/crowding/wait_times_ip_june_2012.pdf
McCraw, R. (2017). Three strategies to improve the patient experience in the emergency department . Beckershospitalreview.com. Retrieved 12 September 2020, from https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/patient-experience/three-strategies-to-improve-the-patient-experience-in-the-emergency-department.html.
Sonis, J., Aaronson, E., Lee, R., Philpotts, L., & White, B. (2017). Emergency department patient experience. Journal Of Patient Experience , 5 (2), 101-106. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373517731359
Weiner, S. (2013). Advertising emergency department wait times. Western Journal Of Emergency Medicine , 14 (2), 77-78. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2012.8.13147
