Patients who spent less time in the emergency room (ER) were less likely to return within three days, a China Medical University Hospital study found, despite concerns that quick assessments could mean inadequate treatment.
A team from the hospital analyzed 28,803 adult patients who sought emergency care for uncomplicated, nontraumatic abdominal pain between 2021 and 2023 to examine how the length of stay in the ER impacts recovery.
They found that patients who spent less than 96 minutes in the ER had significantly lower rates of returning within 72 hours and being hospitalized after returning than those who spent more than 210 minutes in the ER.
Photo: CNA
This suggests that speeding up emergency care does not increase the risk of patients returning for further treatment and may reflect recent improvements in clinical workflows, the research team said.
Patients whose symptoms cannot be quickly resolved or whose underlying causes are difficult to diagnose typically require more tests and evaluations, resulting in longer stays, the team said, adding that a longer stay does not mean a lower likelihood of returning to the ER after discharge.
Future research should focus on developing clinical decision-making tools to effectively identify patients who can be safely discharged early, it said.
As Taiwan has highly accessible medical care, many people tend to visit the ER when they feel unwell, even if their symptoms are not serious enough to warrant emergency treatment, said Wei Chih-wei (魏智偉), director of the Tungs’ Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital emergency department.
Emergency physicians are often busy treating critical cases, meaning patients with minor conditions may face long waits before being evaluated and then quickly advised to go home, leaving them feeling they did not get the care they deserved, Wei said.
However, a doctor being able to do a quick assessment is good, Wei said, adding that those who leave within 90 minutes usually do not have serious issues.
On the other hand, patients who spend two to three hours or longer in the ER typically need additional tests to determine the cause of their symptoms, he said.
In addition, emergency physicians and patients may meet only once, making it difficult to build a relationship through long-term interaction as outpatient doctors do, Wei said.
Emergency physicians may come across as stern or impatient due to their busy schedules and focus on critical patients, which can create a lack of trust that may lead to disputes, he said.
It is important to educate people on symptoms and health issues, but the overall healthcare environment makes it difficult for doctors to do this, as they have little time with each patient, Wei said.
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