Patient Experiences of Emergency Department Triage and Waiting Times:A Cross-Sectional Study at a Tertiary Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan
Keywords:
Emergency Department; Triage; Patient Satisfaction; Waiting Time; Emergency Nursing; Patient Experience; Pakistan.Abstract
Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding and prolonged waiting times remain major challenges in resource-constrained healthcare systems and may adversely affect patient satisfaction with triage services. Objective: To assess patient satisfaction with emergency department triage services at a tertiary public hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, and to examine the association between waiting time, nurse communication, and overall patient satisfaction. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 115 adult patients attending the Emergency Department of Services Hospital, Lahore, between January and April 2024. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling after completing triage. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire evaluating demographic characteristics, pre-triage experiences, triage communication, waiting time, nurse–patient interactions, and overall satisfaction. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Descriptive statistics, Kendall's tau-b correlation, and simple linear regression were used, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The largest proportion of participants were aged 28–48 years (39.1%), and 65.2% were male. Most participants reported positive interactions with triage nurses, including pain assessment (91.3%), respectful communication (73.9%), attentive listening (80.9%), and confidence in the triage nurse (73.9%). However, only 33.0% were informed about expected waiting times and 27.0% received explanations for delays. Overall, 64.4% reported satisfaction scores of 7–10. Waiting time before triage demonstrated a significant inverse association with patient satisfaction (Kendall's τ-b = −0.516, p < 0.001), explaining 26.6% of the variance in satisfaction scores (R² = 0.266). Conclusion: Patient satisfaction with emergency department triage was positively influenced by effective nurse–patient communication but was negatively associated with longer waiting times. Improving communication regarding anticipated delays and strengthening patient-centered triage practices may enhance patient experience in resource-limited emergency departments.
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