|
|
 Canadian
Medical Association Journal
Home |
|
"Hi, Welcome to the ER"
A Calgary emergency department is using WalMart-style greeters to help patients understand why they're waiting. "Emergency rooms are not first-come, first-served service providers," says Roman Cooney of the Calgary Regional Health Authority. Once patients understand the principles of ER triage, he says, it will be easier for them to understand the wait. "The idea is not to appease, but to inform the patient." Although some hospitals in Calgary and the US already show videos about the triage process in waiting rooms, this is the first time greeters have been used. Calgary's Rockyview Hospital is testing the use of greeters for 3 months. If the program proves successful, it could be expanded to other local hospitals at an annual cost of about $75 000.
Copyright 2001 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors |
