• Khaled N Alrajhi, Nawfal A Aljerian, Rand N Alazaz, Lama B Araier, Lujane S Alqahtani, and Shaden O Almushawwah.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. Rajhik@ngha.med.sa.
• Saudi Med J. 2020 Aug 1; 41 (8): 883886883-886.

AbstractTo examine the influence of emergency department (ED) waiting time estimate provision on the satisfaction of patients.  Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between September 2017 and May 2018. It included 18 to 70 years old Arabic-speaking acute care patients. After being divided into 2 groups, the intervention group alone was provided waiting time estimates. Both groups answered 2 questionnaires evaluating their satisfaction and illness perception before and after seeing a doctor. Results: One-hundred patients were included. No significant difference found in waiting time satisfaction scores between groups (intervention (5.92/10±3.13), control (5.45/10±3.38), p=0.476). Demographics and illness perception had an insignificant impact on satisfaction. Waiting time estimate was preferred by most participants (70%). Conclusion: Providing waiting time estimation did not affect satisfaction but was preferred to have in the ED by most.

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