Why Some People Left the ER Without Being Seen During COVID-19

In August 2021, Austin Hospital's emergency department (ED) saw 7, 641 patients, but surprisingly, 452 of them left before getting care. That's about 6% of all patients. These people are called "DNW" patients, short for "did not wait. " Let's dive into why they left and who they were. First, who were these DNW patients? They tended to be younger and came in with less serious issues. Also, more of them showed up on their own, without being brought by ambulance. What made them leave? The top reason was long wait times, with 61% of DNW patients saying that's why they left. Other reasons included feeling better (13%), getting reassurance from staff (7%), and the ED being too crowded (6%).

After leaving the ED, what did they do? Most of them, 75%, went to get medical care somewhere else. And within a week, 14% of DNW patients even ended up in the hospital. How did this experience affect their future? For many, 64%, it didn't change how likely they were to come back to the ED. But 32% said they were less likely to come back. So, what does this all mean? During the COVID-19 pandemic, 6% of ED patients left without being seen. Most of them went to get care elsewhere, but a third were less likely to come back to the ED. Future studies should look more into these DNW patients' experiences and reasons for leaving.

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