Can J Emerg Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The use of a self-check-in kiosk for early patient identification and queuing in the emergency department.
Delays in triage processes in the emergency department (ED) can compromise patient safety. The aim of this study was to provide proof-of-concept that a self-check-in kiosk could decrease the time needed to identify ambulatory patients arriving in the ED. We compared the use of a novel automated self-check-in kiosk to identify patients on ED arrival to routine nurse-initiated patient identification. ⋯ A self-check-in kiosk significantly reduced the time-to-first-identification for ambulatory patients arriving in the ED.
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The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of care of women treated for early pregnancy complications in a Canadian emergency department (ED) and early pregnancy clinic (EPC). ⋯ Perspectives of women with early pregnancy complications highlight the ways in which ED care often does not meet the expectations or needs of patients and their families. The emotional complexity of this medical situation is often overlooked by ED staff and can produce encounters that are distressing. However, negative experiences were often mitigated by follow-up care in the institution's EPC.