As flu season approaches its anticipated peak, Erie Shores HealthCare and Windsor Regional Hospital have reintroduced their Emergency Department Wait Time Clocks to provide patients with real-time information about the current wait times in their emergency departments.
The wait time clocks are designed to give patients an average estimate of the time it takes to see a doctor from the moment they are triaged.
Additionally, the clocks display the total number of patients currently being treated and those waiting in the emergency department. The clocks are an improvement over previous versions as rather than just predicting wait times based on historical data, the new clocks draw from real-time data based on current ED visits.
The Emergency Department Wait Time Clocks can be accessed on the websites of Erie Shores HealthCare and Windsor Regional Hospital.
It’s important to understand that patients are seen based on the severity of their medical concern – so the wait time represents an average, and as always, our most critical patients are seen first.
This means an individual’s wait time may be much shorter or longer than the average posted on the website and should not be used as a deterrent to contacting 911 in the event of an emergency. These tools can help individuals decide if the emergency department is the most appropriate place for their care or if alternative options, such as walk-in clinics, virtual care, or pharmacies, may better suit their needs.
The relaunch of the wait time clocks underscores the hospitals’ commitment to enhancing transparency and ensuring patients have the information they need during a time when healthcare resources are in high demand.
Both organizations encourage residents to review all available healthcare options and to reserve emergency department visits for urgent medical needs.
The links to each page can be found here:
It’s great to see efforts to improve wait times during flu season. This will help many people make more informed decisions during busy times.