Turnaround Time of Patients in Emergency Department at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Uttarakhand, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The Emergency Department (ED) is the point of first contact for any critically ill patient needing immediate medical attention. EDs use a triage system which ensures people who are critically ill are treated first. Turnaround Time (TAT) for the ED is taken as the time from the patient's arrival in the ED to either their hospitalisation or discharge. Aim: To estimate the TAT of patients in the ED at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1 to August 31, 2022, at the ED of Himalayan Hospital, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. A sample size of 300 patients were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by direct observation using a data collection sheet. Timings were recorded with the help of a stopwatch. Statistical analysis was performed using the data analysis tool in Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Pearson coefficient of correlation (r -value) and p -value were calculated. The level of statistical significance was set at 5% (p -value <0.05). Results: Most of the patients attending the ED were over 60 years of age 65 (21.7%). Only 24 (8%) patients were triaged as priority 1 (Red), whereas priority 2 (Yellow) and priority 3 (Green) patients were 135 (45%) and 141 (47%), respectively. It was observed that a maximum of 79 (26%) patients reported to the ED between 4 pm to 8 pm. A total of 186 (63%) patients were given final disposal within three hours of their arrival in the ED. The overall average length of stay in the ED was 2 hours, 53 minutes, and 4 seconds, or 173 minutes. Conclusion: The study provided valuable insight into the causes of the increased TAT of patients in the ED. The highest time (1 hour, 48 minutes, and 59 seconds +/- 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 43 seconds, constituting 63% of the total time in the ED) was taken by radiological investigations in the ED, followed by the time of 36 minutes and 30 seconds +/- 39 minutes and 3 seconds (21% of total time in the emergency) for shifting patients.