Factors Associated With Leaving-Without-Being-Seen in Pediatric Emergency Department Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Muacevic Alexander, Adler John R, Nihira Takashi, Ihara Takateru, Sasaoka Yuta, Hagiwara Yusuke
Primary Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Children’s Medical Center
Hypothesis
What factors are associated with children leaving the emergency department without being seen?
Conclusion
Low acuity, visits on weekends/holidays, and long waiting times were associated with leaving without being seen in the pediatric emergency department.
Supporting Evidence
- 168 out of 112,059 patients left without being seen, indicating a low LWBS rate of 0.15%.
- Factors such as less urgent acuity and longer waiting times were significantly associated with LWBS.
- 58.9% of LWBS cases occurred on weekends/holidays.
Takeaway
Some kids leave the hospital without seeing a doctor because they wait too long or come in when it's busy. We need to make sure they get seen faster.
Methodology
Retrospective cohort study using electronic administrative data from a pediatric emergency department.
Potential Biases
Potential rater bias in categorizing reasons for leaving due to using a single rater.
Limitations
The study was retrospective, which may under-represent adverse events related to LWBS.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 15 years or less presenting to the emergency department.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.71-3.19
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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