“They Just Don’t Want to Feel Forgotten”: A Mixed-Methods Research on Patient Satisfaction With Wait Times in Emergency Departments

Patient satisfaction, an essential care quality measure, is heavily impacted by wait times. This study examined how different factors affect patient satisfaction with ED wait times in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. This mixed-method study, conducted in 4 EDs, used data collected using telephone surveys and semistructured interviews. Patient satisfaction with (1) physician initial assessment and (2) length of stay were analyzed using ordinal regression and thematic analysis. Among the 766 participants, 12% were extremely dissatisfied with physician initial assessment, and 13% were extremely dissatisfied with length of stay. Patients well-informed about the delays were more likely to report higher satisfaction than those who were not informed (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI [1.48-3.99], <i>P</i>-value <.001). Qualitative analysis revealed 4 key themes: poor communication about wait times, lengthy wait times, resource shortages causing long ED wait times, and patients avoiding ED because of it. Our study shows that patients are better satisfied when they are well-informed about the delays. This helped patients feel "less forgotten." Addressing wait time issues is critical to providing patient-centered care and optimizing the care experience.