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‘Did not waits’: A regional A ustralian emergency department experience
Author(s) -
Blake Denise F,
Dissanayake Dananjaya B,
Hay Robyn M,
Brown Lawrence H
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12223
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , observational study , triage , psychological intervention , emergency medicine , prospective cohort study , surgery , psychiatry
Objective Describe the characteristics, reasons for leaving and outcomes of patients who did not wait ( DNW ) to be seen by a health practitioner in a regional A ustralian ED . Methods Prospective observational study of a convenience sample of ED DNW patients presenting to The T ownsville H ospital between J une 2011 and J uly 2012. Seven days from each month were selected, and DNW patients presenting on those days were enrolled. An investigator attempted to contact every DNW patient by telephone in the following week to elicit reasons for leaving, subsequent health contacts, outcomes and suggestions for system improvements. Additional outcome information was obtained from hospital electronic medical records. Results Nearly 15 000 patients presented on the study days, with 648 (4.3%) DNWs : 415 (64.0%) adults, 193 (29.8%) children (1–16 years old) and 40 (6.2%) infants. Thirty‐eight (5.9%) patients who DNW were Australasian Triage Scale ( ATS ) category 3, 546 (84.3%) were ATS category 4 and 64 (9.9%) were ATS category 5. Most DNW patients presented on Sundays and between 1600 and 2359. Just over half of the patients who DNW (52.9%) sought additional medical treatment, with 4.9% requiring subsequent hospital admission. Three psychiatric patients who DNW required urgent mental health interventions organised by the investigators. Frustration with perceived waiting times was the most common reason for leaving without being seen. Conclusions Regional A ustralia ED patients who DNW often still require medical care, with approximately 1 in 20 requiring subsequent hospital admission. Patients with psychiatric conditions who DNW might be at particular risk.