Abstract

The current research investigated the factors influencing the waiting time in the emergency department (ED) in King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. We have decided to evaluate the impact of multiple factors in the waiting time in the ED. These factors are derived from three main variables. The independent variables include the organizational, management and staffing factors, whereas the dependent variable is represented by the waiting time. The method used to collect primary data was quantitative, through a research questionnaire, which was administered in the ED of King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital. A purposive sampling strategy was used to choose the participants in this research. In total, approximately 130,000 patients per year, these patients include the adult population, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology who participated in this study. Using the sample size table, the researcher distributed 384 research questionnaires. The research retrieved 308 valid questionnaires, which was a rate of 80.2%. The results confirm significant influence of the organizational, management and staffing factors in the ED waiting time. Furthermore, the results also show various possibilities for future approaches to improve the waiting time. In this research, we concluded that these factors affect the waiting time in ED either in a positive or negative way, and we should take action to correct or improve the service provided to the patient visiting the ED. We recommend that a clear policy should be implemented regarding the availability of the wheelchairs, finding a direct channel with the medical administration office and the hospital administration regarding the time delay in speciality physicians to evaluate the ED patient. Regarding the difficulty in finding a bed in the ED, we recommend that the ED administration should maintain close monitoring, writing daily reports to the medical administration regarding any patient admitted in the ED under the care of the medical department to ensure a fast response in solving this problem.

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