Have you ever sat in pain in an ED for a few hours just waiting to be treated? For those who have, know how stressful and unpleasant this experience can be. There has been a rapid increase in the number of patients knocking on the doors of an Emergency Department. With the increase in the volume of visits, patients have faced prolonged wait times. A long wait time not only reduces the patient satisfaction but also increases adverse events. It is ironic that you have to "wait" in an "emergency" room.
The wait time for a patient in an medical center can be used as a measure for timeliness, efficiency and quality of care. Thus, there have been many efforts to increase in efficiency and decrease the turnaround time for the patient. Creating a "fast-track" system in an ED is one way of doing so. This system works on the concept of patient segmentation. Once a patient enters an ED, a triage nurse evaluates their condition. Low-acuity patients are directed to the fast-track or the super-track area. This system has been implemented in various EDs and has proved to improve patient and staff satisfaction as well as reduce the number of patients leaving without being seen.
We recently visited the newly renovated Emergency Department at the University of Illinois Medical Center. The super-track allowed them to have a relatively small waiting area. Dr. Amit, a UI physician, told us that there have been talks in the medical industry to eliminate the waiting area in an ED as a whole.
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