Patients who leave without being seen

Weissberg, Michael; Heitner, Mark A.; Lowenstein, Steven R.; Keefer, George

doi:10.1016/s0196-0644(86)80380-8

Cited by 38 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Several authors have proposed informing and updating patients about estimated waiting times. 12,18,19,24 Emergency department staff should recognize that the socially disenfranchised may have different expectations and comfort levels in the ED environment, and may imagine or correctly perceive disrespect or bias on the part of health care personnel. Heightened attentiveness and compassion on the part of providers might be an efficient way to reduce the incidence of patients leaving without being seen.…”

Section: Reducing Lwbs Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8,9 LWBS patients may have distinct social, economic and demographic characteristics. [10][11][12] In the United States, payer status is predictive: individuals with insurance coverage are less likely to leave without being seen, as are children and their guardians. 13,14 Conversely, patients lacking a significant partner, and those with psychological conditions or addiction problems are more likely to leave without being seen.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…13,14 Conversely, patients lacking a significant partner, and those with psychological conditions or addiction problems are more likely to leave without being seen. 12,14 Weissberg and colleagues postulated that LWBS patients may have a "disruption in the usual patterns of interaction with society at large." Some patients may have impaired ability to maintain interpersonal relationships, which manifests itself in irrregular patterns of attendance in the ED.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some patients may have impaired ability to maintain interpersonal relationships, which manifests itself in irrregular patterns of attendance in the ED. 12 Our objective was to characterize the LWBS population, to identify social and demographic factors associated with leaving without seeing a physician, and to describe key clinical outcomes in this group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patients who leave the emergency department without being seen by a physician: a control-matched study

Monzón

Friedman²,

Clarke³

et al. 2005

CJEM

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Objective: To describe the socio-demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who leave the emergency department (ED) without being seen by a physician. Methods: This 3-month prospective study was conducted at a downtown Toronto teaching hospital. Patients who left the ED without being seen (LWBS) were matched with controls based on registration time and triage level. Subjects and controls were interviewed by telephone within 1 week after leaving the ED. Results: During the study period, 386 (3.57%) of 10 808 ED patients left without being seen. Onethird of these had no fixed address or no telephone, and only 92 (23.8%) consented to a telephone interview. They cited excessive wait time as the most common reason for leaving the ED (in 36.7% of cases). Despite leaving the ED without being seen, they were no more likely than those in the control group to seek follow-up medical attention (70 % in both groups). Among those from both groups who did seek follow-up, the LWBS patients were more likely to do so the same day or the day after leaving the ED. The LWBS patients often lacked a regular physician (39.1% v. 21.7%; p = 0.01) and were more likely to attend an ED or urgent care clinic (34.8% v. 12.0%; p < 0.001). Controls were more likely to follow up with a family physician (37.0% v. 23.9%; p = 0.06). The LWBS and control groups did not differ in subjective health status at 48 hours after leaving the ED, nor in subsequent re-investigation in hospital. Conclusions: Patients who leave the ED without being seen have different socio-demographic features, methods of accessing the health care system, affiliations and expectations than the general ED population. They are often socially disenfranchised, with limited access to traditional primary care. These patients are generally low acuity, but they are at risk of important and avoidable adverse outcomes. RÉSUMÉObjectif : Décrire les caractéristiques sociodémographiques et les résultats cliniques de patients qui quittent le département d'urgence sans avoir été vus par un médecin. Méthodes : Cette étude prospective d'une durée de trois mois fut menée dans un hôpital universitaire du centre-ville de Toronto. Les patients ayant quitté l'urgence sans avoir été vus furent appariés à des témoins en tenant compte de l'heure d'inscription et du niveau de triage assigné. Les

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Section: Reducing Lwbs Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Patients who leave the emergency department without being seen by a physician: a control-matched study

Monzón

Friedman²,

Clarke³

et al. 2005

CJEM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…17 A long-recognized result of overcrowding in the ED is reneging, patients leaving the ED before evaluation by a physician. 18,19 The term ''reneging'' is borrowed from the field of queuing theory and is defined as leaving a queue before being served. Reneging may be viewed as a strong statement of patient dissatisfaction.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%