The average wait time for emergency department visits is two hours and 25 minutes, but systems are developing new ways to cut that time to as low as four minutes.
In recent years, hospitals and systems have grappled with increased patient visits, boarding times and a higher demand for patient outcomes and experience. Hospitals have launched a number of programs to help patients leave faster, and three have recently started tackling capacity and experience issues from the moment patients walk through the door.
Nashville (Tenn.) General Hospital launched a "no-wait ER" program in April to reshape the intake process for the emergency department. Traditionally, patients would check in and be asked to wait until a triage nurse could assess them. The hospital eliminated this step by having patients immediately greeted and assessed by a triage team. This reduced wait times for door-to-bed and door-to-doctor from 25 minutes and 34 minutes to four and five minutes, respectively. The "no-wait ER'' has also reduced length of stay for low-acuity patients by 36% — a reduction to less than 90 minutes on average.
Meanwhile, Grand Blanc, Mich.-based McLaren Health approached ED wait times by allowing an online scheduling option for non-life-threatening care. The tool allows patients to see upcoming treatment times and select a slot that works best for their schedule, allowing them to wait at home until the appointment time.
McLaren clinicians review all virtual check-ins for symptoms that may suggest a severe condition that requires immediate attention. Clinicians contact these individuals directly, instructing them to call 911 or immediately go to the nearest ED.
The program was first piloted in late 2019 and today is available at 11 of the system's hospital-based and freestanding EDs. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the online scheduling option has been used more than 7,700 times, outpacing usage from the same period a year prior.
Randallstown, Md.-based Northwest Hospital is also working on a ED redesign. In March, Northwest had the longest average emergency department wait time for patients in the state at 4.5 hours. The ED will be redesigned to create four new areas: a rapid evaluation unit for noncritical patients, a triage channel for patients with urgent medical needs and an area for behavioral health patients that separates them from other patients and environments that might be triggering, like in an ordinary ED.