Patients' time perception in the waiting room of an ambulatory emergency unit: a cross-sectional study.

Autor: Spechbach H; Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland., Rochat J; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.; Division of Medical Information Sciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland., Gaspoz JM; Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland., Lovis C; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.; Division of Medical Information Sciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland., Ehrler F; Division of Medical Information Sciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. frederic.ehrler@hcuge.ch.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC emergency medicine [BMC Emerg Med] 2019 Aug 01; Vol. 19 (1), pp. 41. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Aug 01.
DOI: 10.1186/s12873-019-0254-1
Abstrakt: Background: Patient satisfaction has become an increasingly important element in a service-oriented healthcare market. Although satisfaction is influenced by many factors, the waiting time to be seen by medical staff has been shown to be one of the key criteria. However, waiting is not an objective experience and several factors can influence its perception.
Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study among patients attending the emergency unit of a Swiss university hospital in order to explore the key factors influencing wait perception.
Results: A total of 509 patients participated in the study. Appropriate assessment of emergency level by caregivers, the feeling of being forgotten, respect of privacy, and lack of information on the exact waiting time were identified as significant variables for wait perception.
Conclusions: Our study confirmed the existence of a 'golden hour' when the patient is willing to wait until the medical encounter. In case the wait cannot be limited, an appropriate assessment of the emergency level by caregivers and avoiding the patients of feeling being forgotten are very important factors to avoid a negative perception of the waiting time before seeing a doctor.
Trial Registration: (ID REQ-2016-00555).
Databáze: MEDLINE
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