How long is the emergency department wait time? Now you can check online
Sentara initiative helps patients plan emergency and same-day visits
Now Sentara’s patients can better plan their visits to emergency departments by checking estimated wait-times online and in MyChart.
Sentara has rolled out the feature to five of its emergency departments and plans to expand it to all 17 by the end of the year.
Patients also have the option to schedule same-day appointments at urgent care and walk-in care locations.
Emergency departments, also known as emergency rooms, treat serious or life threatening conditions that require immediate attention, such as chest pain, high fevers, or poisoning. For life-threatening accidents or injuries, patients should call 911 immediately.
Urgent care is designed for non-life-threatening issues that need quick treatment, like minor cuts, sore throats, and vaccinations. Walk-in appointments at your primary care provider are ideal for managing ongoing health needs, like general adult and pediatric care, immunizations, and non-life-threatening conditions.
“Our overall goal is to give our patients more control to determine the best place to seek care, which improves patient outcomes and experience in the communities we serve,” said Kapua Conley, SVP and acute care market president of Sentara’s eastern market.
“This initiative makes it easier to get care at Sentara’s emergency departments by allowing patients to see wait times and alert us they are on their way.”
Estimated wait times represent the approximate time from arrival at the emergency department to the time when a patient sees a physician or other provider. All patients are seen in order of medical priority.
As part of the initiative, patients can sign in online via MyChart and alert an emergency department that they’re on their way, which helps providers plan for their visit.
In addition, to expedite registration once they arrive, patients can check-in using iPads posted at emergency departments, as well as sign up for text alerts about their visit.
The new features are live at five Sentara emergency departments: Sentara Leigh Hospital, Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, Sentara Independence, and Sentara RMH Medical Center.
They will be expanded to the 12 other Sentara emergency departments by the end of the year.
Patient and staff feedback has been positive, said Ralph Rosignolo, director of the emergency department at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. Estimated wait times are updated continuously, he added.
“The initiative enables patients to see wait times, self-select, notify us that they're on their way, and have a seamless, patient-centric way of entering the healthcare system through the iPad registration,” Rosignolo said.
When a patient notifies an emergency department that they’re on their way, it’s not the same as making an appointment, explained Rosignolo. Instead, the feature gives clinical staff better “situational awareness,” allowing them to adequately prepare for a patient visit. It also enters the patient’s information, simplifying registration. Hundreds of patients have already used the feature.
Checking in on an iPad at an emergency department is optional. However, since the rollout last fall, around 95% of patients have used the tablets to complete their registration. The majority of patients have said they were very satisfied with the process, according to surveys. “Beats having to stand in line,” one person wrote.
Learn more about Sentara’s emergency departments online.
Sentara has rolled out the feature to five of its emergency departments and plans to expand it to all 17 by the end of the year.
Patients also have the option to schedule same-day appointments at urgent care and walk-in care locations.
Emergency departments, also known as emergency rooms, treat serious or life threatening conditions that require immediate attention, such as chest pain, high fevers, or poisoning. For life-threatening accidents or injuries, patients should call 911 immediately.
Urgent care is designed for non-life-threatening issues that need quick treatment, like minor cuts, sore throats, and vaccinations. Walk-in appointments at your primary care provider are ideal for managing ongoing health needs, like general adult and pediatric care, immunizations, and non-life-threatening conditions.
“Our overall goal is to give our patients more control to determine the best place to seek care, which improves patient outcomes and experience in the communities we serve,” said Kapua Conley, SVP and acute care market president of Sentara’s eastern market.
“This initiative makes it easier to get care at Sentara’s emergency departments by allowing patients to see wait times and alert us they are on their way.”
Estimated wait times represent the approximate time from arrival at the emergency department to the time when a patient sees a physician or other provider. All patients are seen in order of medical priority.
Patients can now alert an emergency department that they’re on their way
As part of the initiative, patients can sign in online via MyChart and alert an emergency department that they’re on their way, which helps providers plan for their visit.
In addition, to expedite registration once they arrive, patients can check-in using iPads posted at emergency departments, as well as sign up for text alerts about their visit.
The new features are live at five Sentara emergency departments: Sentara Leigh Hospital, Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, Sentara Independence, and Sentara RMH Medical Center.
They will be expanded to the 12 other Sentara emergency departments by the end of the year.
Patient and staff feedback has been positive, said Ralph Rosignolo, director of the emergency department at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. Estimated wait times are updated continuously, he added.
“The initiative enables patients to see wait times, self-select, notify us that they're on their way, and have a seamless, patient-centric way of entering the healthcare system through the iPad registration,” Rosignolo said.
When a patient notifies an emergency department that they’re on their way, it’s not the same as making an appointment, explained Rosignolo. Instead, the feature gives clinical staff better “situational awareness,” allowing them to adequately prepare for a patient visit. It also enters the patient’s information, simplifying registration. Hundreds of patients have already used the feature.
Checking in on an iPad at an emergency department is optional. However, since the rollout last fall, around 95% of patients have used the tablets to complete their registration. The majority of patients have said they were very satisfied with the process, according to surveys. “Beats having to stand in line,” one person wrote.
Learn more about Sentara’s emergency departments online.