Faculty mentor/PI email address
jim010@aol.com
Is your research Teaching and Learning based?
1
Keywords
Emergency Department operations; patient satisfaction; queueing theory; communication; informational silence; progress signaling; healthcare systems; patient experience
Date of Presentation
5-6-2026 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Background Patients in the Emergency Department (ED) frequently experience uncertainty while awaiting diagnostic results, reassessment, and disposition. Even when clinical processes are progressing, prolonged informational silence may create the perception of that those processes are not advancing.
Objective To develop a conceptual and operational mathematical, queuing-theory based model linking bedside communication, conversational time, and informational silence to patient experience.
Methods A back-of-the-envelope operational model was constructed to estimate the time required for bedside update communication during a typical physician shift. A queueing-theory framework was applied to examine how intervals between informational updates influence perceived waiting burden. Concepts from queueing theory were extended to incorporate the patient’s subjective experience within the queue.
Results Under illustrative assumptions (10-hour shift, 2.3 patients/hour, 2-minute bedside communication), three contacts per patient require approximately 2.5 hours of communication time, while six contacts require approximately 4.9 hours. Walking time contributes minimally relative to bedside communication time. Queueing-theory framing suggests that the longest silent interval during a visit may significantly influence patient experience even when total length of stay remains unchanged.
Conclusion Patient experience in the ED may be shaped not only by total waiting time but also by the informational structure of that wait. Designing reassurance intervals, incorporating progress signaling, and distributing communication across the care team may represent important systems strategies for improving patient satisfaction.
Disciplines
Emergency Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Quality Improvement
Included in
Designing Patient Update Intervals in the Emergency Department: A Queueing-Theory and Operational Science Model of Patient Updates and Progress Signaling to Improve Patient Experience
Background Patients in the Emergency Department (ED) frequently experience uncertainty while awaiting diagnostic results, reassessment, and disposition. Even when clinical processes are progressing, prolonged informational silence may create the perception of that those processes are not advancing.
Objective To develop a conceptual and operational mathematical, queuing-theory based model linking bedside communication, conversational time, and informational silence to patient experience.
Methods A back-of-the-envelope operational model was constructed to estimate the time required for bedside update communication during a typical physician shift. A queueing-theory framework was applied to examine how intervals between informational updates influence perceived waiting burden. Concepts from queueing theory were extended to incorporate the patient’s subjective experience within the queue.
Results Under illustrative assumptions (10-hour shift, 2.3 patients/hour, 2-minute bedside communication), three contacts per patient require approximately 2.5 hours of communication time, while six contacts require approximately 4.9 hours. Walking time contributes minimally relative to bedside communication time. Queueing-theory framing suggests that the longest silent interval during a visit may significantly influence patient experience even when total length of stay remains unchanged.
Conclusion Patient experience in the ED may be shaped not only by total waiting time but also by the informational structure of that wait. Designing reassurance intervals, incorporating progress signaling, and distributing communication across the care team may represent important systems strategies for improving patient satisfaction.