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In response to a problem related to Emergency Room wait times, some hospitals have begun experimenting with timer systems, in which prospective patients can see the average ER wait time, either online or on the side of the road on the way to the hospital. Several concerns have been raised about this new practice, however.
The problem was that many people were simply abandoning waiting rooms after waiting for too long. These people, recorded as "left-without-being-seen", not only bypass their own treatment, but also represent lost revenue for the hospital. Streamlined management techniques can effectively reduce their incidence, and some health systems are dealing with the problem by informing patients of the wait times at their multiple emergency rooms, if they own more than one.
One immediately apparent problem is that the average wait time does not reflect the time everyone will wait. Some will be rushed through, and others with less pressing issues will have to wait longer. Some patients are transported by helicopter or ambulance, and therefore have no choice: they are taken to the nearest hospital. In fact, some are concerned that people with chest pains may opt to travel to a more distant hospital for a shorter wait time, without knowing that such patients are usually taken immediately.
One other concern is that this might actually increase emergency room visits because people with normal conditions, such as the common cold, may decide to stop in frivolously if a posted wait time is short enough.
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