What you need to know about the ER waiting-time dashboard
A website that lets people track the waiting times for emergency rooms across Metro Vancouver now includes sites in the Fraser Valley.
On Tuesday, Fraser Health announced that it would begin making ER waiting times at Surrey Memorial and some other facilities public via an online dashboard managed by Vancouver Coastal Health.
The announcement came as the health authority struggled to address criticism of conditions at Surrey Memorial and other hospitals, including claims that a lack of resources is compromising patient care.
“We recognize that some patients and their loved ones are experiencing longer-than-usual emergency department wait times which can be frustrating,” the health authority wrote in a news release.
In the past year, ER visits to Fraser Health hospitals have been seven per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to the news release.
“By providing information about wait times and expected length of stay, we hope to improve the experience for our patients and their families by reducing uncertainty and anxiety they may feel while waiting for care,” the health authority wrote.
The dashboard, which is available at edwaittimes.ca, provides information on waiting times and locations at dozens of hospitals and urgent care clinics around Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.
Q What does the dashboard show?
The dashboard provides information on how long it typically takes to see a doctor and the average length of time it takes to discharge a patient visiting an emergency room. A status icon easily identities abnormally busy or overcrowded emergency departments.
Information in the dashboard is updated every five minutes and is meant to give the public general information about emergency and urgent care waiting times.
Q Which hospitals have the shortest waiting times?
The dashboard displays only current information, so it isn't possible to compare historical waiting times at hospitals or urgent care clinics.
Postmedia monitored waiting times reported on the dashboard over the course of several hours on Tuesday and found wide-ranging differences in waiting times to see a doctor depending on the time of day, regardless of the hospital.
At VGH, waiting times ranged from three to four hours, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday while at Mount Saint Joseph, waiting times ranged from 30 minutes to nearly 3½ hours.
The typical wait at Surrey Memorial was two hours, nearly an hour less than at Vancouver General, Eagle Ridge or Ridge Meadows hospitals.
Waiting times vary across emergency departments and fluctuate when the number of patients suddenly increases, which can cause estimated times to change suddenly.
Q Are some days/times busier than others?
Most emergency departments get busy starting around 10 a.m. and stay busy until 10 p.m., according to an FAQ that accompanies the dashboard. Even though there will be more staff working during this period, waiting times tend to be longer during these hours.
Monday mornings are typically about 10 per cent busier than other days of the week, possibly because patients are unable to reach family doctors over the weekend.
Q Should I use the tool to pick a hospital?
The dashboard is only intended to provide general information on emergency and urgent care waiting times and should only be considered one of many factors in selecting a hospital or urgent care clinic.
Patients are treated based on the severity of the medical issue, not when they arrived at the ER.
Those in need of serious medical attention, including experiencing chest pain, severe bleeding or stroke symptoms should call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency department, regardless of the information available on the dashboard.