Emergency wait room times at five hospitals available online
Posted April 15, 2013 4:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It took months to sort out the glitches, but now you’ll be able to find out how long you’ll be waiting at an emergency room in and around Vancouver.
The site was suppose to be up and running by February.
Some technical problems meant it has taken until now for folks to have access to wait times online through the Emergency Department Wait Times Dashboard.
Dr. Eric Grafstein says it’s designed for people whose medical needs are not a matter of life or death. “These projects are fairly complex and involve a lot of man-power. It was important for us to get it right, rather than get it quick.”
VGH, St. Paul’s, Mount Saint Joseph, Lions Gate and Richmond hospitals are all included in this database.
“Every five minutes new values are posted to the system. We are posting two numbers, the average expected wait to see a physician… and the other is nine patients out of 10 would expect to see a physician within this time frame,” says Grafstein.
He expects the site will also help paramedics determine the best place for patients.
This is also a first for BC, websites like this are already up and running in Calgary, Edmonton and Ontario.
