Throughout history advancements in technology have played a significant role in how we live our lives. It has continuously aided in healthcare breakthroughs and holds significant potential for the future. Researchers at Sunnybrook are using emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to overcome some of health care’s most complex challenges, like lengthy emergency department (ED) visits.
EDs across Canada continue to face pressures including staffing challenges and more complex patients who are more likely to need hospital admission. As Canada’s first and largest trauma centre, Sunnybrook’s ED provides care to some of the sickest, most critically injured patients in Ontario, meaning patients with less urgent medical needs sometimes take longer to be seen. For many patients, visits to the ED may cause anxiety, and not knowing when you might see a doctor may heighten these feelings of stress. Sunnybrook is improving the patient experience in its ED by using AI to share predicted wait times with patients during their visit.
In 2022, Sunnybrook launched a wait time prediction tool on digital screens in the ED and on its website. Developed by Sunnybrook’s Decision Support Team, the display is powered by a machine learning algorithm that handles categorical data and shows the predicted maximum time the majority of patients will wait until they see a physician. Every 15 minutes, a snapshot of the current state of the emergency department is captured. This snapshot assesses information like the number of patients waiting, the day of the week, time of day, number of highly acute patients, wait time patterns, and other relevant factors.
“Staff and patients were surveyed about their experience with the wait time predictor tool, and patients and families appreciated they were provided realistic expectations about wait times,” explains Erin Scholl, Director, Corporate Performance and Business Analytics and lead for the initiative. “With information from the wait time tool, they could keep caregivers informed, or plan ahead for food or parking arrangements.” The prediction tool is also available to the public on Sunnybrook.ca/wait, providing patients with information about wait times before they even arrive.
The tool has also improved the working environment for ED nurses, doctors and staff, equipping them with informed answers to questions like “how much longer?” and ultimately reducing tense interactions with patients.
“The wait time prediction tool provides our patients with transparency from the moment they begin their care at Sunnybrook,” says Dr. Justin Hall, chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine and program lead of the Virtual Emergency Department. “By providing patients with this information, it encourages them to assess the reason for their visit and consider alternative forms of care, such as an appointment with the Virtual ED.”
Dr. Hall adds, “it’s important to point out that anyone who thinks they may need emergency care should not hesitate to come to the ED. All patients are important and will be seen.”
Predicted wait times for patients can vary based on the status of their condition, but as more insights from this initiative are gained, there’s a hope the tool will be used to generate patient-specific wait time predictions based on the information obtained at ED triage. The use of AI and machine learning provide a promising future for operations in the ED, as insights learned from this project and other AI tools will help guide staffing recommendations and resource allocation.
