title: A priority queuing model to reduce waiting times in emergency care.
abstract: Investigates the increased waiting time costs imposed on society due to inappropriate use of the emergency department by patients, seeking non-emergency or primary care. Proposes a simple economic model to illustrate the effect of this misuse at a public or not-for-profit hospital. Provides evidence that non-emergency patients contribute to lengthy delays in the ER for all classes of patients. Proposes a priority queuing model to reduce average waiting times.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siddharthan
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017748:Time Management; D014481:United States; D014850:Waiting Lists