UCSF Center for Healthcare Value - Caring Wisely 2.0

Crowd-sourcing innovative cost savings ideas from the front lines of care delivery systems

Post average waiting times in the ED

Idea Status: 

Unexpectedly long waiting times contribute to patient anxiety and poor satisfaction, and lead many patients to leave without being seen or to begin their healthcare experience upset and frustrated. Posting average waiting times (either static or dynamic) in the ED waiting room can help patients manage their expectations (as well as self-titrate flow and arrival patterns). This could be expanded to include posting waiting times in other outpatient clinics and urgent care clinics, as well as average waiting times for certain procedures (i.e. signs that say "Blood work: 1-2 hours, CT scan: 2-3 hours, etc." and perhaps even average discharge times from various services on inpatient services. It could be as simple as a printed sign or as complicated as a screen that automatically updates to reflect current volume.  

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