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Emergency Department Wait Time for Inpatient Bed (Hours, Percentile)

This indicator measures the time between Disposition Date/Time and Date/Time Patient Left Emergency Department (ED) for admission to an inpatient bed or operating room.

The 90th or 50th percentile of this indicator represents the maximum length of time that 90% or 50% of patients admitted from the ED wait for an inpatient bed or an operating room in the ED.

A small number is desirable for this indicator.

Data availability: to (fiscal years)
Geographic coverage
Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon
Reporting level
National, Province/Territory, Region, Facility, Corporation
Calculation

The indicator is measured in hours, usually using the 90th percentile and/or 50th percentile, which represents the maximum length of time that 90% and/or 50% of patients admitted from the ED wait for an inpatient bed or an operating room.

Unit of analysis: Single ED visit

Denominator

Not applicable

Numerator

All emergency visits

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Name

Emergency Department Wait Time for Inpatient Bed (Hours, Percentile)

Short/Other Names

Not applicable

Description

This indicator measures the time interval between the Disposition Date/Time (as determined by the main service provider) and the Date/Time Patient Left Emergency Department (ED) for admission to an inpatient bed or operating room.

Rationale

Time is crucial to the effectiveness and outcome of patient care, especially for emergency patients. In conjunction with other indicators, this can be used to monitor the inpatient bed turnover rate and the total length of time admitted patients spend in the ED in an effort to improve the efficiency and, ultimately, the outcome of patient care.

Many factors can influence the indicator results, including the availability of inpatient beds, the percentage of alternate level of care (ALC) patients, the overall patient population and hospital resources.

Interpretation

The 90th or 50th percentile of this indicator represents the maximum length of time that 90% or 50% of patients admitted from the ED wait for an inpatient bed or an operating room in the ED.

A small number is desirable for this indicator.

HSP Framework Dimension

Health system outputs: Access to comprehensive, high-quality health services

Areas of Need

Getting Better

Targets/Benchmarks

Not applicable

Available Data Years

to (fiscal years)

Geographic Coverage

  • Prince Edward Island
  • Nova Scotia
  • Quebec
  • Ontario
  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Yukon

Reporting Level/Disaggregation

  • National
  • Province/Territory
  • Region
  • Facility
  • Corporation
  • Peer group

Indicator Results

Your Health System: Insight

Update Frequency

Every month

Updates

Not applicable

Description

The indicator is measured in hours, usually using the 90th percentile and/or 50th percentile, which represents the maximum length of time that 90% and/or 50% of patients admitted from the ED wait for an inpatient bed or an operating room.

Unit of analysis: Single ED visit

Type of Measurement

Number - Number of hours, percentile

Denominator

Description:

Not applicable

Numerator

Description:

All emergency visits

Inclusions:

  1. Admitted unscheduled emergency visits
  2. ED visits with a valid and known Disposition Date/Time and a valid and known date/time the patient left the ED

Exclusions:

  1. Scheduled emergency visits
  2. Non-admitted unscheduled emergency visits
  3. Visits with unknown/invalid Disposition Date/Time OR unknown/invalid date/time the patient left the ED

Method of Adjustment

Not applicable

Adjustment Applied

None

Geographic Assignment

Place of service

Data Sources

  • NACRS

Caveats and Limitations

Not applicable

Trending Issues

Coverage in the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) changes over time as more jurisdictions participate.

For more information on NACRS coverage, please see the NACRS Quick Stats

Comments

Indicator results are also available in

References

Not applicable

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Emergency Department Wait Time for Inpatient Bed (Hours, Percentile). Accessed April 25, 2025.