Understanding Emergency Department Wait Times

This report explores the number and types of patients accessing Emergency Departments and how long they are waiting for care. The data source for the analyses presented here is CIHI's Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), which comprises demographic, administrative and clinical data for hospital discharges and day surgeries in Canada.

This report explores the number and types of patients accessing Emergency Departments and how long they are waiting for care. The data source for the analyses presented here is CIHI's Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), which comprises demographic, administrative and clinical data for hospital discharges and day surgeries in Canada.

This first report is focused on the characteristics of patients visiting selected EDs in Canada and the overall length of time people spent in EDs.

This is the first in a series of three reports aimed at shedding light on some of the key issues regarding wait times in Canadian emergency departments. It focuses on who is accessing emergency departments, when and where, as well as how long they are waiting to see a physician, and how long their visits take.

The report reviews a range of policies that countries have used to tackle waiting times for different services, including elective surgery and primary care consultations, but also cancer care and mental health services, with a focus on identifying the most successful ones.

Of the estimated 119 million visits to U.S. emergency depts. (ED) in 2006, over 40% were paid for by federally-supported programs -- Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insur. Program. There have been reports of crowded conditions in ED often associated with adverse effects on patient quality of care. In 2003, it was reported that most ED in metropolitan areas experienced some degree of crowding. For ex., two out of every three metropolitan hospitals reported going on ambulance diversion -- asking ambulances to bypass their ED and instead transport patients to other facilities. This report examined three indicators of ED crowding - -ambulance diversion, wait times, and patient boarding -- and factors that contribute to crowding. Illus.

This is the first book for the general public, written by a physician, to guide you through what really happens in the Emergency Department (ED). In Canada there are over 15 million Emergency visits a year. In the USA, over 145 million annually – a shocking 46 visits for every 100 persons! Learn what to expect if you, or a loved one, becomes one. - What happens and why from the ambulance to the trauma bay? - What and whom should you bring? - Why do you have to wait so long? Why did that person get seen before you? - Who gets seen faster? How can you get treated sooner? - Why do you have to tell the same story over again? - Who are all these people? - What should you do to prepare? Dr. Voon also busts some common myths and provides tons of practical tips and tricks to help you stay out of the ED: - What might not be an emergency after all? - What should everyone stock in their Home Medicine Cabinet? - What internet sites can we trust? As an in-depth and comprehensible resource, this non-fiction is a reference that belongs in every household and every waiting room. Find out more on the web at DrVoon.com.

Academic Paper from the year 2023 in the subject Health - Public Health, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this paper is to pinpoint the root causes, consequences, and remedies of emergency department overpopulation. Hospital and emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a serious problem that has an impact on patient treatment and results. For the purpose of improving hospital capacity and patient flow, it is imperative to comprehend the causes of congestion. An overview of the studies on overcrowding and its effects on healthcare delivery is given in this article. These techniques can ease hospital overcrowding, improve patient flow, and decrease wait times. Additionally, recognizing and controlling hospital overpopulation has showed promise when using data analytics and predictive modeling. Hospitals can proactively allocate resources, change personnel levels, and manage patient flow to avoid congestion by studying previous data and forecasting future demand. This approach has been shown to improve patient outcomes, reduce wait times, and enhance overall hospital efficiency. Understanding overcrowding factors, bed capacity deficits, is crucial for effective strategies. Optimizing bed capacity, patient flow, and data analytics improves hospital care quality and reduces overcrowding.