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Kept Informed About ED Wait Time
How Long Could I Wait
How Long Could I Wait: Triage posters for Emergency Departments
Posters for Emergency Departments (ED’s) in Greater Southern Area Health Service were created following a number of complaints from dissatisfied consumers who expressed their disappointment and confusion about the intake process in ED’s. The common theme: ‘Why is the person who came in after me being treated before me?’
Evidence of Success
Feedback from Emergency Department staff and consumers has been positive. Consumers have stated that it helped them to understand why they have had to wait longer than others in the ED waiting room. Comments from nursing staff indicate they believe the poster is very useful; they use it during busy times to help people understand what is happening in the ED and refer to the posters when consumers become anxious about their wait.
Resources
An initial proposal for the content and layout of the posters was developed and provided to the Director Clinical Governance.
Consultation occurred with General Managers and Critical Care staff. Some adjustments were made to the poster following the consultation process and a final version of the poster was agreed upon.
The posters were printed and laminated in Queanbeyan Area Office and disseminated to Emergency Departments across GSAHS by Critical Care Nurse Consultants.
A recent review of the posters has indicated that further changes could be made. This includes removing the timeframes, including information on the significant delays which can occur for GP type presentations and enlarging the size of the poster.
Download the Poster (41KB)
Opportunities for Improvement
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For more information
If you would like to use this poster for your ED, please contact:
Patient Safety & Quality Officer, Clinical Governance Unit, Greater Southern Area Health Service Ph: 02 6124 9822 or 0427 017 125
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