| Sub-title | |
| Author | T Melillo |
| Abstract | Every year the number of patients visiting the only Accident and Emergency department in the country is increasing. In 2002, 118,785 patients visited the department: this is equivalent to one quarter of the whole Maltese population. St. Lukes Emergency department has become synonymous with long waiting times. Long delays can affect the health of patients and the eventual clinical outcome. A prospective observation of patients progress through the A&E department was done over a two week period by collecting the time taken by the patients at each stage, from arrival up to discharge/admission. A descriptive research design was done by collecting retrospective data of the daily number and hours of work of all the casualty nurses and doctors together with the total number of patients registering for the whole month of September 2002 and March 2003. Interviews with patients regarding their satisfaction on the service provided. Through process mapping, four stages where identified as areas causing delays and increasing waiting times during a patients journey through the current system. Waiting to be seen for the initial assessment by the doctor after Triage Waiting for a blood test Waiting to have an X-Ray Waiting to be seen by the SHO on call for a second assessment There is mismatch between demand and supply: the staffing levels do not correspond to the peaks and dips of the arrival pattern. Patients have an overall good impression of the service provided: their complaint is the long waiting time. Waiting time is a key indicator of Accident and Emergency departments performance. Reforming Emergency Care can produce significant improvement in the average patient waiting time without compromising the quality of service. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 15 Issue 1-2/suppl. 2003 |
| Pages | - |
| Date | |
| Link to journal | |
| Key words | accident and emergency, operational analysis, waiting time |