Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Use iPhone apps for emergency room wait times with caution

Satish Misra, MD
Tech
March 15, 2010
65 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Emergency rooms are notorious for their long waiting times – that’s pretty common knowledge. But now the Hospitals of Central Connecticut are looking to a new medical app for the iPhone to help improve their emergency room wait times.

Having spent a fair amount of time recently working in an emergency room, I (and probably everyone with similar experiences) can assure you that no one – physicians, nurses, administrators – want it to be that way. Much effort has been made in improving patient triage, workflow management, and other areas of opportunity that could increase the efficiency with which a patient is managed when they get to the emergency room.

Some emergency rooms, like Hospital of Central Connecticut, are now looking to improve efficiency even before the patient arrives at the emergency room. The New Britain Herald reports that a new medical app released for the iPhone this week allows patients to view waiting times for the emergency rooms at two local hospitals in the hopes that patients with non-emergent complaints will head to the less crowded ER.

The premise here is pretty simple. There are two campuses of the Hospitals of Central Connecticut in roughly the same area – New Britain and Southington – and only fifteen minutes apart. The vast majority of patients who come to emergency room don’t really have emergencies, at least not the kind where that time makes much of a difference.

So a patient in, say, the North End area with a deep laceration on their hand who needs stitches may check his or her iPhone and see that Southington Hospital has a five hour wait while New Britain only has a two hour wait. This patient, with a non-emergent problem, is now headed to the hospital that is in a better position to treat him or her – a win-win for the patient and the hospital.

There are obvious dangers however with this kind of app. The most obvious is that patients with dangerous symptoms will end of wasting valuable time because they try to go to the hospital with the shorter waiting time. Imagine a stroke patient who may only present with left arm weakness. The symptoms have been there for about an hour and a half and he opts to go to the hospital thirty minutes away rather than the one five minutes away based on wait times. Brain-saving reperfusion therapy has to be given within three hours of symptoms onset, at least per current protocols – time is literally brain for this patient. Similar scenarios aren’t hard to imagine for patients with chest pain, a transient loss of consciousness after a traumatic injury, and other situations where time is critical to outcomes.

Hospital officials naturally emphasize that patients should err on the side of caution and call 911 for anything close to an emergency. Its just that some patients may have a tough time figuring out what that is. However, there are obvious benefits to clear cut situations where therapy is needed soon but not right now, and they tend to be injuries – a broken arm, a cut, and so on. Features like an introductory screen detailing situations where it is appropriate to use this app or danger signs that warrant immediately calling 911 may help mitigate some of the potential dangers. Used very judiciously, these kinds of apps can help improve regional management of emergency medical facilities.

Satish Misra is a cardiology fellow and a founding partner and managing editor, iMedicalApps.

Prev

PSA for prostate cancer screening is likely to continue

March 15, 2010 Kevin 0
…
Next

Physical exam evidence and whether it's still useful

March 15, 2010 Kevin 6
…

Tagged as: Emergency Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
PSA for prostate cancer screening is likely to continue
Next Post >
Physical exam evidence and whether it's still useful

More by Satish Misra, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Beware the security flaws of health tracking technology

    Satish Misra, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    iPhone app that empowers patients may be harmful instead

    Satish Misra, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    iPhone medical apps may be medical malpractice targets

    Satish Misra, MD

More in Tech

  • The pros and cons of using ChatGPT for your health care needs

    Liudmila Schafer, MD
  • A new era of collaboration between AI and health care professionals

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

    Jackson J. McCue
  • The rise of generative AI in health care: Here’s what you need to know

    Anil Saldanha
  • Can AI solve the physician shortage crisis?

    Harry Severance, MD
  • Bridging the digital divide: How to bring trust back into the patient-physician relationship

    Arti Masturzo, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

      Kevin Haselhorst, MD | Physician
    • The hidden truths of hospital life: What doctors wish you knew

      Emily Stanford, DO | Physician
    • 10 commandments of ethical affiliate marketing for physicians

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO | Finance
    • The heart of a Desi doctor: Balancing emotions and resources in oncology

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Journal Shows Its Commitment to Exploring AI in Medicine
  • Do Away With 'Lockout' Period in iPLEDGE, FDA Advisors Urge
  • Cluster Headache, Migraine Linked to Circadian System
  • Smaller Liver Transplant Candidates Wait Longer, Less Likely to Receive Organ
  • A 'Double Whammy' for Gastric Cancer Risk

Meeting Coverage

  • Oral Roflumilast Effective in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis
  • Phase III Trials 'Hit a Home Run' in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
  • Cannabis Use Common in Post-Surgery Patients on Opioid Tapering
  • Less Abuse With Extended-Release Oxycodone, Poison Center Data Suggest
  • Novel Strategies Show Winning Potential in Ovarian Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • What is driving physicians to the edge of despair?

      Edward T. Creagan, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from a toxic relationship with medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Tom Brady’s legacy and the importance of personal integrity in end-of-life choices

      Kevin Haselhorst, MD | Physician
    • The hidden truths of hospital life: What doctors wish you knew

      Emily Stanford, DO | Physician
    • 10 commandments of ethical affiliate marketing for physicians

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Amy Bissada, DO | Finance
    • The heart of a Desi doctor: Balancing emotions and resources in oncology

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician
    • Safe sex for seniors: Dispelling myths and embracing safe practices [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Use iPhone apps for emergency room wait times with caution
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...