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Emergency Department Wait Time for Physician Initial Assessment (90% Spent Less, in Hours)

The time interval between the earlier of Triage Date/Time or Registration Date/Time and Date/Time of Physician Initial Assessment in the Emergency Department (ED). The 90th or 50th percentile of this indicator represents the maximum length of time that 90% or 50% of patients waited in the ED for a physician initial assessment. A small number is desirable.

The 90th or 50th percentile of this indicator represents the maximum length of time that 90% or 50% of patients waited in the ED for a physician initial assessment.

A small number is desirable for this indicator.

Data updated:
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 stay in the ED until they are initially assessed by a physician.

Unit of analysis: Single ED visit

Denominator

Not applicable

Numerator

All emergency visits

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Name

Emergency Department Wait Time for Physician Initial Assessment (90% Spent Less, in Hours)

Short/Other Names

Emergency Department Wait Time for Physician Initial Assessment

Description

This indicator measures the time interval between the earlier of triage date/time or registration date/time and the date/time of physician initial assessment in the emergency department (ED).

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 time patients spend in the ED in an effort to improve the efficiency and, ultimately, the outcome of patient care. Multiple factors can influence the indicator results, including triage level, patient population and availability of resources.

Interpretation

The 90th or 50th percentile of this indicator represents the maximum length of time that 90% or 50% of patients waited in the ED for a physician initial assessment.

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

Web Tool:
Your Health System: In Depth
 

Update Frequency

Every year

Latest Results Update Date

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 stay in the ED until they are initially assessed by a physician.

Unit of analysis: Single ED visit

Type of Measurement

Number - Number of hours, percentile

Denominator

Description:

Not applicable

Numerator

Description:

All emergency visits

Inclusions:

Unscheduled emergency visits with a valid and known registration date/time or triage date/time and a valid and known physician assessment date/time

Exclusions:

  1. Scheduled emergency visits
  2. Unscheduled emergency visits with Visit Disposition = 61 (leave post-registration) and 63 (left after triage)
  3. Both registration and triage date/time are unknown, or physician assessment date/time is unknown

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

Depending on the acuity of the case or hospital procedures, triage may occur before registration or vice versa. Therefore, the earlier of these 2 events is used as the starting point for this indicator's calculation.

Indicator results are also available in Your Health System: Insight.

References

Not applicable

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Emergency Department Wait Time for Physician Initial Assessment (90% Spent Less, in Hours). Accessed April 24, 2025.