Emergency Department Wait Times Now Available Online

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Windsor Regional Hospital launched prEDict Wednesday,  an online Emergency Department  wait time clock that lets patients know how long they can expect to wait in the Emergency Department at either campus before seeing a physician or nurse practitioner.

The system uses a combination of historic and real-time data to provide patients with estimated wait times. The data is updated every 10 minutes and changed in real-time according to what is happening in the ED.

Using their proprietary algorithms, Oculys is able to ensure 90% accuracy rate.

Previously, WRH had created a “homemade” system that did show wait times but lacked the number of patients being seen, waiting to be seen and the predictive/historical data. That is the information which patients and our community told us they wanted to see.

“As employees of the hospital we have access to this data 24/7. The question we kept asking ourselves was, ‘how can we share this data with our patients?’ The prEDict system provides all of this information to the patients – our consumer,” said President and CEO David Musyj. “This new system not only provides relevant data our community wanted to see but also provides predictive data based on historical information on what patients can expect.”

The ED wait time clocks for both the Met and Ouellette Campuses are posted online at www.wrh.on.ca where patients can now find:

• The estimated wait time to see a physician or nurse practitioner at either campus,
• The number of people currently registered and waiting,
• The number of people currently being treated,
• When the ED is expected to be busiest over the next six hours, and
• A list of alternatives to consider in non-life-threatening situations.

“We want to empower patients by giving them right information they need to make informed decisions about where to go for treatment and what to expect when coming to the Emergency Department at either campus,” says Karen McCullough, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Executive at Windsor Regional Hospital.

The ED teams at both campuses have been testing the new tool for the past three weeks. During the pilot phase, the system consistently provided accurate wait time estimates and the ED teams are excited to share the information with the public.

“When patients come to the emergency department they are already not feeling their best. Not knowing what to expect only adds to their uneasiness,” says Dr. Donald Levy, Chief, Emergency Medicine. “This tool can help eliminate any unnecessary stress and anxiety our patients feel when they don’t know what to expect. It allows us to be more transparent about the status in our emergency departments.”

To view the prEDict wait times clock, go to the WRH home page at www.wrh.on.ca and click on the “Real-Time ED Wait Times Data” icon.