Canadian journal of rural medicine : the official journal of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada = Journal canadien de la médecine rurale : le journal officiel de la Société de médecine rurale du Canada
-
Emergency departments (EDs) are key entry points to hospital care, and issues of overcrowding and poor patient flow have become a priority in Canada. Studies have sought to determine factors that influence ED wait times in an effort to improve patient flow. We sought to identify the impact of factors such as patient age, triage level, comorbid factor level and sex to determine their effects on length of stay (LOS) and the role that they play in the ED and in an inpatient setting. ⋯ Continued efforts to further reduce ED LOS are crucial, because this has the potential to influence outcomes, efficiency of EDs and succession to inpatient status, which may affect costs to the health care system. Patient-specific factors need to be considered when formulating and refining policies and processes to improve patient flow.