Patient Throughput Times in Swedish Emergency Departments
Author Information
Author(s): Ulf Ekelund, Lisa Kurland, Fredrik Eklund, Paulus Torkki, Anna Letterstål, Per Lindmarker, Maaret Castrén
Primary Institution: Lund University
Hypothesis
Can benchmarking data on quality of care be effectively collected from Swedish emergency departments?
Conclusion
The study shows that it is feasible to collect benchmarking data on quality of care in Swedish emergency departments.
Supporting Evidence
- All emergency departments provided data without significant issues.
- The average length of stay was 4 hours, with 2 hours spent waiting for the first physician.
- Monday was identified as the busiest day for patient inflow.
Takeaway
This study looked at how long patients wait in Swedish emergency rooms and found that Mondays are the busiest days, while Saturdays are the quietest.
Methodology
Data were collected from computerized information systems at six Swedish university hospital emergency departments during on-site visits.
Potential Biases
Data collection was based on first registration, which may not reflect actual patient arrival times.
Limitations
Results may not be generalizable to smaller units or pediatric emergency departments.
Participant Demographics
The study included adult patients from six university hospitals in Sweden.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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