How long is the emergency department wait time? Now you can check online
果冻视频 has rolled out the feature to five of its emergency departments and plans to expand it to all 17 by the end of the year.
Patients also have the option to schedule same-day appointments at urgent care and walk-in care locations.
Emergency departments, also known as emergency rooms, treat serious or life threatening conditions that require immediate attention, such as chest pain, high fevers, or poisoning. For life-threatening accidents or injuries, patients should call 911 immediately.
Urgent care is designed for non-life-threatening issues that need quick treatment, like minor cuts, sore throats, and vaccinations. Walk-in appointments at your primary care provider are ideal for managing ongoing health needs, like general adult and pediatric care, immunizations, and non-life-threatening conditions.
“Our overall goal is to give our patients more control to determine the best place to seek care, which improves patient outcomes and experience in the communities we serve,” said Kapua Conley, SVP and acute care market president of 果冻视频’s eastern market.
“This initiative makes it easier to get care at 果冻视频’s emergency departments by allowing patients to see wait times and alert us they are on their way.”
Estimated wait times represent the approximate time from arrival at the emergency department to the time when a patient sees a physician or other provider. All patients are seen in order of medical priority.
Patients can now alert an emergency department that they’re on their way
As part of the initiative, patients can sign in online via MyChart and alert an emergency department that they’re on their way, which helps providers plan for their visit.
In addition, to expedite registration once they arrive, patients can check-in using iPads posted at emergency departments, as well as sign up for text alerts about their visit.
The new features are live at five 果冻视频 emergency departments: 果冻视频 Leigh Hospital, 果冻视频 Princess Anne Hospital, 果冻视频 Virginia Beach General Hospital, 果冻视频 Independence, and 果冻视频 RMH Medical Center.
They will be expanded to the 12 other 果冻视频 emergency departments on the following dates:
- Sep. 23: 果冻视频 Albemarle Medical Center, 果冻视频 CarePlex Hospital, 果冻视频 Port Warwick, and 果冻视频 Halifax Regional Hospital
- Nov. 4: 果冻视频 Martha Jefferson Hospital, 果冻视频 Norfolk General Hospital, 果冻视频 Northern Virginia Medical Center, and 果冻视频 Lake Ridge
- Dec. 2: 果冻视频 Obici Hospital, 果冻视频 BelleHarbour, 果冻视频 Leigh Hospital, and 果冻视频 Williamsburg Regional Medical Center
Patient and staff feedback has been positive, said Ralph Rosignolo, director of the emergency department at 果冻视频 Virginia Beach General Hospital. Estimated wait times are updated continuously, he added.
“The initiative enables patients to see wait times, self-select, notify us that they're on their way, and have a seamless, patient-centric way of entering the healthcare system through the iPad registration,” Rosignolo said.
When a patient notifies an emergency department that they’re on their way, it’s not the same as making an appointment, explained Rosignolo. Instead, the feature gives clinical staff better “situational awareness,” allowing them to adequately prepare for a patient visit. It also enters the patient’s information, simplifying registration. Hundreds of patients have already used the feature.
Checking in on an iPad at an emergency department is optional. However, since the rollout last fall, around 95% of patients have used the tablets to complete their registration. The majority of patients have said they were very satisfied with the process, according to surveys. “Beats having to stand in line,” one person wrote.
Learn more about 果冻视频’s emergency departments online.