Last week, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC)announced that patients and families can now access an online Emergency Department(ED) wait-time clock providing real-time estimates for how long it may take to be seen by a physician.
“Patients and families are already experiencing stress and uncertainty when they come to the ED,” said Dr. Nicole DeFrancesco, Chief of Emergency Medicine at PRHC. “By sharing wait time information in real time, we’re making a difficult moment a bit easier for people, improving their hospital experience by providing more and better communication to help them understand what they can expect.”
PRHC’s ED sees more than 75,000 visits annually – this means a new patient arrives in the Emergency Department every seven minutes. Pressures on the Emergency Department have continued to grow over the last decade, with rising demand for emergency services outpacing capacity.
According to Dr. De Francesco, while a variety of initiatives to reduce wait times have been introduced over the last few years, much of the impact of this work has been absorbed by system pressures including rising patient volumes, complexity and acuity.
“In other words: while the work has had excellent results, the improvements the team has made are helping us to manage the growth we’ve been seeing– but not to get ahead of the curve,” added Dr. De Francesco. “Our work in these priority areas will continue as we invest in new initiatives to improve the care we provide.”
The online ED wait-time clock supports transparency, reduces uncertainty, and empowers patients with timely information. The clock can be viewed on the hospital’s web-site atprhc.on.ca/healthcare-services/ed-wait-times/ before and during a hospital visit to see up-to-date information on how long it may take to be seen by a physician for an initial assessment.
A reminder that patients in the emergency department are always seen based on the urgency of their condition and not their time of arrival. Patients with more serious conditions will always be treated first. Wait times can change quickly and unexpectedly due to new or more urgent emergencies.
Information about alternative options for non-emergency care in the community is provided on the hospital’s website here: prhc.on.ca/healthcare-services/emergency-department/