title: Characteristics of patients who did not wait for treatment in the emergency department: a follow up survey.
abstract: A significant number of patients leave the emergency department (ED) before being treated or after treatment has been initiated but not completed. This paper reports the findings of a study examining the demographics and characteristics of those who did not wait for treatment in an ED in Melbourne. A telephone survey was undertaken to examine the reasons they did not wait. Data were collected in four one-month periods across the year and patients were telephoned within 72 h of their departure from the ED. The majority of those who did not wait were Australian Triage Scale category 4 or 5, male, and with a mean age of 37 years. Sixty per cent of those who did not wait presented between the hours of 6 pm and 6 am and waited an average of 130 min before leaving. Over fifty per cent (127) of those surveyed (n=243) sought treatment elsewhere and over a third (72) thought their problem was inappropriate for an ED. However, the need for communication with patients in the waiting room should not be under-played.
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University/The Alfred Clinical School, The Alfred, Commercial Road, Prahran, Melbourne 3181, Australia. g.lee@latrobe.edu.au
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Endacott
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flett
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bushnell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration; D014739:Victoria; D014850:Waiting Lists