MAKASSAR, Indonesia, April 20, 2025/EAGING/ – When someone arrives at an emergency unit, every minute matters. Patients and families expect fast treatment, yet in many hospitals around the world, people spend hours waiting for care. This delay is not simply about overcrowding—it is often the result of complex factors within the healthcare system. Understanding these factors is crucial to improving emergency services and saving lives.
A recent scientific publication, titled “Factors Affecting Patient Length of Stay in the Emergency Unit: A Scoping Review,” Article Published in International Emergency Nursing (Elsevier), April 18, 2025, explored this issue in depth. The study analysed global research to identify what causes patients to stay longer in emergency departments. The review examined hundreds of studies and ultimately analysed 23 relevant articles from different countries.
The findings revealed three main groups of factors influencing the duration of patients’ stay in the emergency unit: patient-related factors, diagnostic test factors, and hospital organisational factors.
First, patient-related factors include the patient’s medical condition, severity of illness, age, and the level assigned during triage. Patients with complex conditions such as respiratory disease, injuries, or infections often require more observation and care, which naturally increases their time in the emergency department. Communication barriers or anxiety can also slow down assessment and treatment.
Second, diagnostic tests play a significant role. Many emergency patients must undergo laboratory tests, X-rays, or other imaging procedures before doctors can make decisions. These examinations take time to perform and interpret. When several tests are required or when specialist consultations are needed, the waiting time becomes longer.
Third, hospital organisational factors strongly affect patient flow. Limited hospital beds, crowded emergency rooms, shortages of specialist doctors, and inefficient medical protocols can all delay treatment. Even small issues, such as incomplete medication orders or unavailable medical equipment, may extend a patient’s stay in the emergency department.
Long waiting times in emergency units are not just inconvenient—they can also affect patient safety and health outcomes. Research shows that prolonged stays may worsen patient conditions, increase stress, and delay critical treatment.
Addressing this problem requires cooperation among healthcare workers, hospital managers, and policymakers. Nurses, in particular, play an important role in improving triage systems, coordinating patient care, and helping hospitals manage patient flow more efficiently.
This issue also connects closely with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-Being. SDG 3 emphasises the importance of accessible, high-quality healthcare services for everyone. Reducing waiting times in emergency units is a key step toward achieving safer and more effective healthcare systems worldwide. By recognising the many factors behind emergency department delays, hospitals can design better strategies—such as improving triage processes, optimising diagnostic workflows, and strengthening hospital management systems. Ultimately, faster emergency care means better health outcomes and a stronger healthcare system for all.
Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2025.101607
Contact:
Andi Masyitha Irwan, S.Kep., Ns., MAN., Ph.D.
+6285342600183
citha_ners@med.unhas.ac.id
