Posted: January 13th, 2024
Reducing Waiting Times in Emergency Departments
Reducing Waiting Times in Emergency Departments
Waiting times in emergency departments (EDs) are a major concern for patients, health professionals, and policymakers. Long waits can lead to dissatisfaction, poor outcomes, and increased costs. Therefore, many strategies have been proposed and implemented to measure and improve ED performance. In this blog post, we will review some of the main approaches and their characteristics, based on the current evidence from the literature.
Who Are the Experts Writing My College Essays?
Our writers are a talented bunch—each one holds at least a university degree, with over a third boasting Master’s or higher. They’ve aced rigorous tests and training to ensure they can handle any essay you need. Whether it’s a tight deadline or a complex topic, they’ve got the skills to deliver top-quality work that meets your academic standards, making us your go-to for essay help.
How to measure ED performance
ED performance is a complex concept that involves multiple dimensions, such as quality, safety, efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, accessibility, and patient-centeredness. To capture these aspects, various indicators have been developed and used in different settings and contexts. According to a systematic review by Guttmann et al. [1], some of the most common indicators are:
- Length of stay (LOS): the total time spent by a patient in the ED, from arrival to discharge or admission.
- Left without being seen (LWBS): the proportion of patients who leave the ED before receiving medical attention.
- Time to physician initial assessment (PIA): the time elapsed from arrival to the first contact with a physician or a nurse practitioner.
- Time to treatment: the time elapsed from PIA to the initiation of a specific treatment or intervention.
- Time to disposition: the time elapsed from PIA to the decision to discharge or admit the patient.
- Admission rate: the proportion of patients who are admitted to the hospital from the ED.
- Return rate: the proportion of patients who return to the ED within a specified period (e.g., 72 hours) after discharge.
- Mortality rate: the proportion of patients who die in the ED or within a specified period (e.g., 30 days) after discharge or admission.
Is My Paper Guaranteed to Be Original and Human-Written?
Yes, absolutely! We have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Every paper is crafted from scratch by real writers—not AI—using thorough research and proper citations. We run every piece through advanced plagiarism checks, and you can request a report to confirm it’s 95%+ original, ensuring it’s ready for submission without any worries.
These indicators can be measured using automated information systems or manual data collection methods. However, there is no consensus on the optimal way to measure them, as different definitions, data sources, and calculation methods may affect their validity and reliability. Moreover, these indicators may not reflect all the aspects of ED performance that are relevant for patients and providers. Therefore, it is important to use a comprehensive and balanced set of indicators that can capture both clinical and non-clinical outcomes [1].
How to improve ED performance
Can You Format My Paper in Any Citation Style?
Definitely! Our writers are pros at all major citation styles—APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, you name it. Just let us know your requirements, and we’ll tailor your paper to match the exact guidelines, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your course’s academic standards.
Many interventions have been proposed and implemented to improve ED performance, targeting different stages of the ED process and involving different disciplines and roles. A scoping review by Austin et al. [2] identified 38 interventions that can be classified into two main categories: changes to practice and process, and changes to team composition.
Changes to practice and process refer to interventions that aim to modify or optimize the way care is delivered in the ED. Some examples are:
What If I Need to Update My Essay Instructions?
No problem! You can chat with your writer anytime through our easy-to-use system. Whether you need to add details, clarify something, or adjust the rubric, they’ll adapt on the fly—even after the writing’s started—so your essay turns out just right.
- Triage: the process of sorting patients according to their urgency and acuity, using standardized tools or protocols (e.g., Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale).
- Fast-track: a dedicated area or pathway for patients with low-acuity conditions, who can be treated quickly and discharged without requiring extensive investigations or consultations.
- Streaming: a similar concept to fast-track, but applied to patients with different levels of acuity, who are directed to different areas or pathways according to their needs and resources available.
- Care transitions: interventions that facilitate the transfer of patients from the ED to other settings or levels of care, such as hospital wards, observation units, or community services.
- Technology: interventions that use information and communication technologies to support ED processes, such as electronic health records, computerized order entry, telemedicine, or decision support systems.
Changes to team composition refer to interventions that aim to modify or enhance the roles and responsibilities of ED staff. Some examples are:
- Advanced nursing roles: nurses who have additional training and skills to perform tasks that are traditionally done by physicians, such as triage, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, prescribing, or referral.
- Scribes: assistants who document patient information and orders in electronic health records on behalf of physicians, freeing them from clerical duties and allowing them to focus on clinical care.
- Pharmacy: pharmacists or pharmacy technicians who provide medication-related services in the ED, such as reconciliation, dispensing, administration, monitoring, education, or consultation.
The role of patients in improving ED performance
How Do I Order a Paper From Your Service?
It’s a breeze. Place your order online, and your writer gets to work right away. You can ask for updates or drafts as they go. Once it’s done, download it from your account, review it, and release payment when you’re happy. It’s simple, fast, and affordable—perfect for any student on the go!
Patients are not passive recipients of care in the ED; they can also play an active role in improving ED performance. Two interventions that address this aspect are:
- Supporting patient decisions: interventions that provide information and guidance to patients about their options for care in the ED or alternative settings (e.g., primary care), helping them make informed choices that match their preferences and needs.
- Providing patient education: interventions that provide information and advice to patients about their condition, treatment plan, self-care strategies, follow-up care, or preventive measures.
The outcomes of interventions to improve ED performance
The outcomes of interventions to improve ED performance can be categorized into five key domains: time, proportion, process, cost, and clinical outcomes. Some examples of outcomes for each domain are:
Can You Meet a Tight Deadline for My Essay?
You bet! Need it fast? Our skilled writers can deliver a high-quality essay in as little as 24 hours. Pick your deadline when you order, and we’ll make it happen—whether it’s a rush job or a standard 10-day turnaround, we’ve got your back.
- Time: LOS, PIA, treatment time, disposition time.
- Proportion: LWBS, admission rate, return rate, mortality rate.
- Process: compliance with guidelines, protocols, or standards; quality of documentation; patient or staff satisfaction; patient or staff experience.
- Cost: resource utilization; cost-effectiveness; cost-benefit; cost savings.
- Clinical: complication rate; adverse events; infection rate; readmission rate.
However, not all interventions report outcomes across all domains, and the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions is often mixed or inconclusive. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the impact of interventions using rigorous methods and appropriate measures, taking into account the context and the stakeholders involved [2].
Conclusion
Do You Offer Revisions or Refunds?
Absolutely. You get free revisions for 14 days after delivery to tweak anything you need. Not happy? We’ll keep at it until you are. Missed a deadline? You’re covered with a full refund—no hassle, no fuss.
ED performance is a multifaceted concept that requires a comprehensive and balanced approach to measure and improve it. Various indicators and interventions have been developed and implemented to address different aspects of ED performance, but their validity, reliability, and effectiveness may vary depending on the setting and the situation. Therefore, it is important to tailor the interventions to the specific needs and resources of each ED, and to monitor and evaluate their outcomes using appropriate methods and measures.
References
How Do You Ensure My Essay Hits the Grade I Want?
We pair you with a subject expert who digs into your requirements and researches thoroughly. After writing, it goes through strict quality checks to match our standards and your goals. It’s a process built to get you the grade you’re aiming for.
[1] Guttmann A, Schull MJ, Vermeulen MJ, Stukel TA. Association between waiting times and short term mortality and hospital admission after departure from emergency department: population based cohort study from Ontario, Canada. BMJ. 2011 Jun 1;342:d2983.
[2] Austin EE, Blakely B, Tufanaru C, Selwood A, Braithwaite J, Clay-Williams R. Strategies to measure and improve emergency department performance: a scoping review. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2020 Jun 15;28(1):55.
[3] Vainieri M, Panero C, Coletta L. Waiting times in emergency departments: a resource allocation or an efficiency issue? BMC Health Serv Res. 2020 Jun 17;20(1):549.
[4] How to Reduce Wait Time in the Emergency Room [Internet]. wikiHow. 2021 [cited 2024 Jan 13]. Available from: https://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Wait-Time-in-the-Emergency-Room
What’s the Cost to Write My Essay?
We keep it budget-friendly—starting at just $10 per page. The price depends on pages, urgency, and writer level, but there’s no hidden fees. Order early for the best rates, and you’ll get premium help without draining your wallet.
[5] Moscelli G, Siciliani L, Gutacker N, Cookson R. The Effect of Wait Time Targets in Emergency Departments. NBER Working Paper No. 24579 [Internet]. National Bureau of Economic Research; 2018 [cited 2024 Jan 13]. Available from: https://www.nber.org/bah/2018no2/effect-wait-time-targets-emergency-departments
Order | Check Discount
Tags:
Reducing Waiting Times in Emergency Departments
Sample Essays, Assignments & Research Topics Ideas