Perspectives on visitors in the emergency department: their role and importance.
BACKGROUND
Visitors may play a significant role in patient care by interceding on patients' behalf and advocating proper care.


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of emergency department (ED) patients with visitors, whether this varied by gender or race, and to compare patient and visitor perspectives on the role and importance of visitors.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was done in a 46,035 adult-visit, urban ED during a consecutive 96-h period. A "visitor" was defined as any non-health-care provider present in a patient's room. Perspectives of visitors' role were assessed in five domains: transportation, emotional support, physical care, communication, and advocacy.


RESULTS
Forty-two percent of patients had at least one visitor during their ED stay. Visitor presence was unaffected by patients' age, gender, or triage score; however, 57% of white patients had at least one visitor during their stay, compared to 39% for non-Whites (p = 0.02). When patients had one or more visitors, gender and triage score did not influence the number of visitors; however, older patients and nonwhite patients had greater numbers of visitors (age ≥ 40 years, 1.5 ± 0.8 vs. age < 40, 1.2 ± 0.6 visitors/patient; p = 0.03 and nonwhite patients, 1.4 ± 0.7 vs. white patients, 1.1 ± 0.3 visitors/patient; p = 0.03). Seventy-eight percent of patients felt that visitors were important to their care.


CONCLUSIONS
Visitors represent a valuable resource for patients, and methods of partnering with visitors to improve outcomes merit further work.
Emergency Department, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
Vicken Y
VY
Totten
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Tara K
TK
Bryant
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Apoorva K
AK
Chandar
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Wyatt B
WB
Hoch
Emergency Department, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
Stephanie L
SL
Hunter
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Nikita J
NJ
Patel
Emergency Department, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
Barry E
BE
Brenner
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012380:Role; D012944:Social Support; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
patient-centered; quality; satisfaction; social support; visitors