Emergency room waits up: report

Wait times in Alberta's emergency wards have gone upin the past fewyears despiteefforts to reduce them, according to a report releasedby the Health Quality Council of Alberta.

The report surveyed emergency room patients in the 12 busiest emergency rooms in Alberta during 2009. It found those who reported seeing a doctor within 30 minutes dropped to 22 per cent in 2009 from the 27 per cent recorded in a similar study in 2007.

Of those patients with the least urgent complaints, 64 per cent were seen in the recommended Canadian minimum of 120 minutes, comparedwith 80 per cent in 2007.

For patients who were sent home after their emergency room visit, the average length of stay was 3.6 hours in 2009, up from 3.4 hours in 2007.

The survey also indicated an overall care rating related to a range of factors such as cleanliness, respect and discharge information was virtually unchanged in the two-year period.

"It's one thing to look at numbers, but you also have to put it together with what people said happened to them," said Dr. John Cowell,chief executive officer of the council.

"Albertans are very tolerant, but we need to understand that they need to be seen faster and more effectively when they have emergencies, and this report, I think, shines some light on some critical issues that could be managed."

The report recommended new strategies, including better communication with patients about how long they would likely have to wait and the risks of leaving before treatment.

Alberta'shealth minister said the report is disappointing given efforts to improve the health-care system. But Gene Zwozdeskysaid the baselinedata in the reportis important information.

"I dealt with some of this when I was dealing with the Fort Chipewyan health issues as minister of aboriginal relations," he said. "I'm delighted that we've got a similar approach here. You have to have some baseline measurements in order to gauge the improvements you hope to make."

A total of 4,942 surveys were returned to the health quality council, just less than half the number mailed out. The margin of error is believed to be plus or minus 1.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The council is anindependent organizationlegislated under the Regional Health Authorities Act.