The basis for this thesis involved a four month Accelerate Canada internship at the Grand River Hospital Emergency Department in Kitchener, Ontario. The Emergency Department (ED) Process Committee sought insight into strategies that could potentially reduce patient length of stay in the ED, thereby reducing wait times for emergency patients. This thesis uses discrete event simulation to model the overall system and to analyze the effect of various operational strategies within the fast track area of the emergency department. It discusses the design and development process for the simulation model, proposes various operational strategies to reduce patient wait times, and analyzes the different scenarios for an optimal fast track strategy. The main contribution of this thesis is the use of simulation to determine an optimal fast track strategy that reduces patient length of stay, thereby reducing patient wait times. Wait times were most significantly reduced when there was an increased physician presence/availability towards the fast track system. This had the greatest impact on the total time spent in the ED and also on queue length. The second most significant reduction to the performance measures occurred when an additional emergency nurse practitioner was supplemented to the fast track system. Accordingly, the nurse practitioner’s percent utilization increased. There was only one two-way interaction effect that was statistically significant in reducing the primary performance measure of wait times; however, the effect did not change the queue length, a secondary performance measure, by a significant amount. Finally, the implementation of a See-and-treat model variant for fast track had a negligible effect on both the average length of stay and queue length.

Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the determinants of unplanned emergency department (ED) use by home care clients, the profile of older ED patients, their transitions from the ED, as well as the determinants of post discharge outcomes among older ED patients. The goal of this dissertation was to create theoretically driven, evidence-based, and practical risk identification methods for home care and the ED. Methods: First, a multi-year, census-level cohort study was conducted on home care clients in two Canadian provinces (N=617,035). Census-level data from RAI-HC assessments were linked to census-level ED records. A needs-based decision tree model – the ED Model – informed by the Andersen Behavioural Model, was created using decision tree analyses. The final model was validated on a separate data partition and compared to the ERA Index and the CARS. Multilevel analyses were conducted to test regional variation in model performance. Disease stratified analyses were also conducted to test model generalizability across common disease classes. Regression analyses determined the effect of predisposing and enabling factors within ED Model strata. Second, a multi-site, multi-province prospective cohort study was conducted, termed the Management of Older Persons in Emergency Departments (MOPED) Study, using a clinically representative sample of 2,101 older ED patients. The interRAI ED-CA was used to assess older ED patients, and a 90-day disposition was collected. The profile of older ED patents was examined. Best-subset regression analyses identified person-level determinants of acute inpatient admission. Two needs-based decision tree models – the ALC/LTC and ED Revisit Models – were created using decision tree analyses to determine the risk of ALC designation or LTC placement, and unplanned repeat ED visits, respectively. Both models were validated on separate data partitions. Multilevel analyses were conducted to test site-level variation in the models’ performance. Results: Overall, 41.2% of home care clients had at least one unplanned emergency department visit within 6 months of an assessment. Previous ED use, cardio-respiratory symptoms, cardiac conditions, and mood symptoms featured heavily in the ED Model. The ED Model provided moderate risk differentiation and clinical utility. It achieved an area under the curve of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.61-0.62) and showed clear differentiation in Kaplan-Meier plots using validation data. Multi-level analyses showed no regional variation. The ED Model significantly outperformed the similar tools specific to primary care with respect to overall accuracy and perceived clinical utility. Predisposing and enabling characteristics provided little added differentiation beyond evaluated need. The majority of older ED patients were dependent on others for basic tasks of daily living, and many had fragile informal care or lived alone. Triage acuity generally did not differentiate chronic geriatric disabilities and conditions. Previous ED or hospital use was associated with chronic geriatric disabilities and conditions as well as informal caregiver distress. The Admission Model found that multiple factors were associated with admission to inpatient acute care, including: acuity, instability, changes in ADL function, cognition, nutrition, and anhedonia. Overall, 20.7% of older ED patients admitted to acute care were designated ALC or discharged to LTC; whereas 39.5% of older ED patients discharged home had one or more repeat ED visits within 90 days. Cognitive, functional, and informal care indicators were predictive of ALC/LTC; whereas functional status and symptoms were predictive of repeat ED use. The ALC/LTC and ED Revisit Models provided good risk differentiation, achieving AUC’s of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69-0.79) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.63-0.74), respectively. The ALC/LTC and ED Revisit Models showed clear differentiation in Kaplan-Meier plots. Multi-level analyses showed no site-level variation in each models’ performance. Conclusions: This dissertation produced tangible and empirically-based risk assessment models for clinical practice in home care and the ED. The models developed in this dissertation can support the targeting of preventative services as well as better communication strategies between the ED and community supportive care, primary care, and inpatient acute care. Key questions related to the prevention of the risk pathways identified in each risk assessment model remain unanswered, and should be a focus of future research.

This thesis investigates head injuries (HIs) occurring in sports and recreation (SR) that presented to emergency departments (EDs) in Edmonton, Alberta, from April 1st, 1997 to March 31st, 2008. There were 4,950 SR HIs identified over the 11 years (5.13 HIs per 1,000 ED injury visits). Individuals less than 18 years old were 3.4 times more likely, and males were 1.25 times more likely to present with a head injury from SR (p < 0.0001). A history of one or two previous SR HIs increased the odds of subsequent HI by 2.62 and 5.94 times, respectively, while children aged 7 13 and 14 17 were more than four times more likely to sustain a HIs from SR (p < 0.001). The effects of multiple HIs occurring in children participating in SR activities needs to be addressed, due to the chronic neurobehavioral effects of HIs. / Epidemiology

Asthma affects over 2.2 million people in Australia. Asthma morbidity is increasing while mortality is decreasing. People with asthma experience shortness of breath as their airways narrow and become inflamed. After an episode of acute asthma many patients experience a relapse requiring further emergency department care. Numerous studies have been undertaken to identify the determinants of asthma morbidity and these studies have primarily used asthma oriented and co-morbidity scales such as anxiety and depression indices. Other studies in this area have indicated psychosocial factors such as coping, asthma attitudes and beliefs that may be linked to people with asthma who are non-compliant or adherent to treatment. Currently, there is no research available that has examined the link between general health promoting behaviours, an individual’s risk behaviour assessment and a brief asthma education encounter that is patient-centred. This study provides a description of the health promoting and risk taking behaviours of people who attend the emergency department with acute asthma. Secondly, it examines the effectiveness of patient-centred education compared with standard education. One hundred and forty-six people with acute asthma who attended the emergency departments of the Princess Alexandra and Mater Adult Public Hospitals were enrolled in this study. Participants self-reported health promoting and risk taking behaviours by completing the questionnaire that contained the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLPII) and the Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) instruments. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was also incorporated into the questionnaire to ascertain levels of anxiety and depression in this acute asthma group of people. The asthma education curriculum had the same topics for both the standard education and the patient-centred groups. However, the patient-centred group were able to prioritise the order of the topics according to their identified need. Secondly, the patient-centred group were asked two questions to ascertain the most important issue and asthma issue for them at that point in time. Both groups of participants were educated using the Asthma Foundation Leaflet “Asthma - Basic Facts” during the individual education session. There were 56% females and 44% males with a mean age (+SD) of 34 (13.8) years with 70.3% reported year 12 or above education and 49% of participants earned less that $20,000. Nearly half of the participants were admitted to a hospital ward following emergency department assessment and care. A large proportion of the participants had either moderate or severe asthma. The health behaviour findings from this study suggest people with acute asthma follow preventive health recommendations and safety guidelines more so than the wider community. However, they did not self-initiate home based health actions such as breast self-examination. At the time of attendance to the emergency department with acute asthma there were no statistical difference between the patient-centred education and standard format education groups for age, gender, education, income, asthma control and previous emergency department attendances. The patient-centred education group had fewer re-attendances in the four months after the education intervention when compared with prior emergency department attendances than the control group (p=0.057; p=0.486). In conclusion, people with acute asthma report undertaking a number of preventive health behaviours and actions according to national guidelines and safety recommendations. They report a lack of self-initiated home based health behaviours. Further research is required to investigate the impact on the National Asthma Council’s recommendations of the importance of asthma action plans on people who follow preventive health guidelines and who lack self-initiative abilities. In terms of asthma education, patient-centred education when compared to standard format education may be useful in reducing further emergency department attendances for acute asthma. More research is required to identify other key education issues for people with acute asthma.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Injuries to people living and working on farms in New South Wales continue to be a significant burden on the health system, Workers’ Compensation system, agricultural industries and farming families. Strategies to reduce the number and severity of injuries suffered by farmers and people working on farms rely on accurate information. Unfortunately there is no one dataset available to describe the circumstances surrounding farm injuries and the size of this burden in Australia. Hence, a number of different data sources are required to provide a picture of farm injuries. To date, there has been very little critical examination of what value each of these datasets provides to describing farm injuries. This Thesis aimed to: • Undertake surveillance of injuries occurring to people on farms or during agricultural production in NSW using data from an Emergency Department, NSW Hospital Separations information, NSW Workers’ Compensation Claims, and ABS Deaths data. • Critically examine the utility of Emergency Department, Hospital, Workers’ Compensation, and ABS Deaths Data for the surveillance of farm injuries in NSW. • Critically examine data classification systems used in Emergency Department, Hospital, Workers’ Compensation, and ABS Deaths data collections to describe the breadth of farm injuries in NSW. • Define the priority areas for farm injury prevention initiatives in NSW based on the information obtained from the examination of the data from Emergency Department, Hospital, Workers’ Compensation, and ABS Deaths. • Evaluate the effectiveness of the NSW Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) rebate scheme and examine the utility of the data currently available in NSW to measure the performance of the program. Four datasets, Tamworth Emergency Department, Hospital Separations, Workers’ Compensation and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Deaths data were used to provide information on the surveillance of farm injuries, describe the breadth of classifications used to describe farm injuries, and define priorities for the prevention of farm injuries. There were 384 farm-related injuries which presented to the Emergency Department at the Tamworth Base Hospital between 1 September 1997 and 31 August 1998. Emergency Department data collected in this study used the Farm Injury Optimal Dataset (FIOD) for classification, which allowed for a comprehensive picture of the circumstances surrounding the injury event. The three most common external causes of injury were related to horses, motorcycles, and animals. Commonly people were working at the time of injury. Children represented 21% of the people injured. The average number of injuries per 100 farms per annum was 34.7. An examination of hospital discharge data for NSW was undertaken for the period 1 July 1992 to 30 June 2000 where the location of the injury was a farm. Classification of cases in this dataset conformed to the International Classification of Disease (ICD) versions 9 and 10. There were 14,490 people who were injured on a farm during the study period. The three most common external causes of injury were motorcycles, animals being ridden and agricultural machinery. Children represented 17% of all farm injury cases. The rate per 1,000 farms ranged from 19 to 42 per annum. An examination of Workers’ Compensation claims for agricultural industries in NSW between 1 July 1992 and 30 June 2001 was undertaken. The ‘Type of Occurrence’ classification system was used to code the claims. There were 24,332 claims of which the majority were males (82%). The incidence of injury / disease in agriculture per annum varied from 37 per 1,000 workers to 73 per 1,000 workers. The rate per 1,000 agricultural establishments varied from 54 to 76. The average cost of a claim was $10,880 and the average time lost per claims was 9.2 weeks. There were 81 deaths and 3,158 permanent disabilities. The three most common agents were sheep / goats (5%), ferrous and non-ferrous metals (5%), crates / cartons / boxes / etc (5%). Using ABS deaths data to examine the deaths of people working and living on farms was limited to males whose occupation was recorded as ‘farmer and farm manager’ and ‘agricultural labourer and related worker’. There were 952 deaths over the period 1 January 1991 and 31 December 2000. The information provided a consistent series of cases over time. Areas where prevention should be directed included motor vehicle accidents; falls; agricultural machinery; other machinery; firearms; poisoning; and drowning. Using any one of the datasets alone to examine people injured on farms not only underestimates the number of people injured, but also misses particular types of agents involved in farm injuries. Each of the datasets used in this Thesis provides a different perspective of farm injury in NSW. By examining the information together, there are a number of areas which are consistently represented in each dataset such as falls and agricultural machinery. While no one dataset provided all the information that would be useful for the prevention of injuries, the available information does provide direction for the development of prevention strategies. The overall weakness of the information provided is that it misses a number of risk factors that contribute to farm injuries such as fatigue and training. The lack of appropriate denominator information also makes it difficult to directly compare the datasets and estimate the size of the problem. There are a number of additional coding categories that could be included in each dataset that would provide a better understanding of the different groups at risk of sustaining an injury on a farm or during agricultural work. These coding categories include activity at time of injury, admission to hospital, and occupation. An example of the use of data to determine the effectiveness of a farm injury prevention program is the ‘NSW Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) Rebate Scheme’ evaluation. Tractor rollover deaths have been identified as an issue for prevention by Farmsafe Australia; however, such deaths were not identified in any of the datasets used in this Thesis due to coding limitations in the ABS data. In this Thesis information about the evaluation of the ‘NSW ROPS Rebate Scheme’ is presented. The scheme was successful in fitting 10,449 ROPS to tractors and the following lessons were learnt: when providing a rebate, the administration (i.e. sending the cheque) needs to be done well; advertising is important and should be co-ordinated, increase the awareness of the risk(s) the intervention is aiming to prevent and effectiveness of subsequent solution (s); the program should ensure there is an increased awareness of the outcome the intervention is aiming to prevent; if regulation is part of the program, enforcement needs to undertaken; and should address any barriers to uptake. The information provided in this Thesis highlights the substantial burden that farm injury places on the agricultural and rural sector of NSW. While there is no one data source that can describe the circumstances and the burden of farm injuries, the currently available datasets do provide an insight into the circumstances of farm injuries and the burden these injuries place on health, Workers’ Compensation, agricultural industries and farming families.

Background: Many patients evaluated for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in emergency departments (EDs) experience ongoing or recurrent symptoms after discharge, regardless of their ultimate medical diagnosis. A comprehensive understanding of post-ED symptom trajectories is lacking. Aims: Aim 1 was to determine trajectories of severity of common symptoms (chest pressure, chest discomfort, unusual fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, upper back pain and shoulder pain) in the six months following an ED visit for potential ACS. Aim 2 was to identify relationships between symptom trajectories and baseline physiologic factors (age, gender, diabetes status, diagnosis, comorbidities, functional status) and situational factors (marital status, insurance status, education level). Aim 3 was to identify relationships between symptom trajectories and health service use (outpatient visits and calls, ED visits, 911 calls, hospitalization) in the six months after the ED visit. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis from a study conducted in five U.S. EDs. Patients (n=1002) who had abnormal electrocardiogram or biomarker testing and were identified by the triage nurse as potentially having ACS were enrolled. Symptom severity was assessed in the hospital and 30 days and six months post-discharge using the 13-item ACS Symptom Checklist. Symptom severity was modeled across the three study time points using growth mixture modeling. Model selection was based on interpretability, theoretical justification, and statistical fit indices. Patient characteristics were used to predict trajectories using logistic regression and differences in health service use were tested using chi-square analysis. Results: Between two and four distinct trajectory classes were identified for each symptom. Identified trajectories were labeled "tapering off," "mild/persistent," "moderate/persistent," "moderate/worsening," "moderate/improving," "late onset," and "severe/improving." Age, sex, diabetes, BMI, functional status, insurance status, and diagnosis significantly predicted symptom trajectories. Clinic visits and phone calls, 911 calls, ED visits, and probability of hospitalization varied significantly among trajectories. Conclusions: Research on the individual nature of symptom trajectories can support patient-centered care. Patients at risk for ongoing symptoms and increased health service use can be targeted for education and follow-up based on clinically observable characteristics. Further research is needed to verify the existence of multiple symptoms trajectories in diverse populations.

Bakgrund: I takt med en växande population blir också väntetiderna på akutmottagningarna allt längre. Detta är påfrestande både psykiskt och fysiskt för patienterna och hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen. Ett bra första bemötande är viktigt då det lägger grunden för patientens upplevelse av den fortsatta vården. Syfte: Att sammanställa kunskap om hur patienter upplever mötet med hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen på akutmottagning. Metod: En litteraturöversikt som sammanställts utifrån både kvalitativa och kvantitativa vetenskapliga artiklar, för att svara på litteraturöversiktens syfte. Resultat: Resultatet delades in i sex stycken kategorier: Det första mötet med hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen, Upplevelse av väntan, Vikten av att få information, Kommunikationens centrala betydelse, Upplevelse av utsatthet och Upplevelse av delaktighet i vården. De flesta patienterna upplevde triageringsmötet som någonting positivt och hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen upplevdes som kompetenta och effektiva. Det framkom i resultatet att de långa väntetiderna samt brist på information och kommunikation från hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen skapade frustrationen hos många patienter. Konklusion: Hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen behöver förbättra sin kommunikationsförmåga samt ge en regelbunden, adekvat och individuellt anpassad information för att höja patienternas upplevelse av mötet med hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen på akutmottagningar. / Background: As the population grows, even longer waiting times in the emergency departments are to be expected. This leads to a stressful situation for both patients and health care professionals. Emergency department is often the first contact the patient has with the health care. A good first encounter is therefore of great importance to the continued experience of the health care. Aim: To compile knowledge about how patients experience the meeting with healthcare professionals in the emergency department. Method: A literature review based on both qualitative- and quantitative scientific articles aim of the literature review. Result: The result was based on six categories: The first encounter with the health care professionals, Experience of waiting, The importance of information, The central importance of communication, The sense of vulnerability and Experience of participation. Most patients experienced the triage encounter as something positive, they thought the healthcare was competent and effective. The result showed that the long waiting times and lack of information from healthcare professionals created frustration among many patients. Conclusion: The healthcare professionals need to improve their communications skills and provide regular, adequate and personalized information to improve patients' experience of meeting with healthcare professionals on emergency department

Bakgrund: Psykisk ohälsa är ett folkhälsoproblem som förekommer i alla åldrar och har stora konsekvenser för individens livskvalitet. En problematisk aspekt med psykisk ohälsa är att det är ett stigmatiserat hälsoproblem i samhället. Tidigare forskning visar att det finns svårigheter för patienter med psykisk ohälsa att ha kontakt med hälso- och sjukvården. Den somatiska akutmottagningen fokuserar på fysiska skador och sjukdomar. Vården upplevs därför som otillräcklig för patienter med psykisk ohälsa. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka hur vuxna patienter med psykisk ohälsa upplever att de blir bemötta av sjuksköterskor när de söker vård på en akutmottagning, oavsett om kontaktorsaken relateras till fysiska eller psykiska besvär. Metod: En litteraturstudie baserad på 13 empiriska artiklar. Databaserna som användes vid datainsamlingen var PubMed och PsycINFO. Artiklarna genomgick en innehållsanalys. Joyce Travelbees omvårdnadsteori utgjorde studiens teoretiska referensram. Resultat: Fem kategorier identifierades som beskriver upplevelser av sjuksköterskors bemötande på akutmottagning hos patienter med psykisk ohälsa. Kategorierna var: positiva upplevelser, upplevda brister, individens svårigheter, yttre påverkande faktorer samt önskemål för ett likvärdigt bemötande. De mest problematiska aspekterna i sjuksköterskornas bemötande ansågs vara ett bristande engagemang och ett fördömande beteende. Fysisk hälsa ansågs också vara viktigare än psykisk hälsa. Slutsats: Det finns brister i sjuksköterskornas bemötande av personer med psykisk ohälsa på akutmottagningar. Problematiken ligger i stigmatiseringen kring psykisk ohälsa. Därför krävs ny forskning och mer kunskap för att uppmärksamma och hitta lösningar på de brister som finns. / Background: Mental health is a public health problem that could be found in different ages and has big consequences for the individual ́s quality of life. One problematic aspect is the ongoing stigmatisation in the society. Previous research has shown difficulties for mental health patients to have contact with health care facilities. In the emergency department, the physical illness is a priority. Therefore, the health care is perceived as insufficient for patients with mental health problems. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of adults with mental health issues, regardless of the nature of the health seeking reason, and how they perceive that they get treated by the nurses in the emergency departments. Method: It ́s a literature research based on 13 empirical articles. The databases that has been used to find relevant articles was PubMed and PsycINFO. A content analysis was made on the articles. Joyce Travelbees nursing theory was used as a theoretical framework for this study. Result: Five categories was identified explaining experiences of nurses ́ treatment in the emergency department among patients with mental health issues. The catagories were: positive experiences, perceived shortcomings, individual difficulties, external impact factors and requests for equal treatment. The most problematic aspects of the nurses ́ patient treatment were lack of involvement and a judgemental behavior. Physical health was also considered as more important than mental health. Conclusion: Shortcomings were found in the nurse ́s treatment of patients with mental health issues in the emergency departments. The problematic factor is the stigmatisation of mental health. For that reason, new research and more knowledge is required to highlight and find solutions to the problem.

BACKGROUND: One in ten sexually active adolescents in the United States become pregnant each year. Significant differences in unintended pregnancy and use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods: the sub-dermal implant, the copper intrauterine device (IUD) and hormonal IUDs, exist between socioeconomic strata as well as ethnic and racial groups. Women using LARC are 20 times less likely to experience a pregnancy than women using short-acting reversible methods. Thus, LARCs present a major opportunity for the prevention of unintended pregnancy. PURPOSE: Characterize contraceptive use, demographics, and behavioral characteristics of a novel population: young women presenting to an urban Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) in order to better understand the contraceptive needs of this population. METHODS: We characterized the current LARC usage. Using an anonymous paper-based questionnaire, we surveyed women ages 16-21 years regardless of chief complaint presenting to our PED regarding their demographics, health care access, sexual history, and history of contraceptive use. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of demographic characteristics for current LARC and non-LARC users (n=331) using chi-squared for categorical variables and student's t-test for continuous variables. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between women currently using LARC and those not using LARC, however current LARC usage in our population was 15.8%, about three times that documented in the most recent national studies conducted in 2013. CONCLUSION: Current LARC use is particularly high in our urban PED setting. More research is necessary to determine if this is part of a larger national trend or if the early implementation of no-cost contraception in Massachusetts and changes in provider or patient attitudes towards LARC may explain the large observed difference in LARC usage.

Bakgrund: Till en akutmottagning kommer patienter med varierande skador och sjukdomar. Patienterna som befinner sig på akutmottagningen kan vara rädda och hjälplösa, vilket gör att bemötandet blir viktigt för patientens känsla av trygghet och god omsorg. Syfte: Beskriva hur patienter som besöker en akutmottagning upplever det bemötande de får av vårdpersonalen. Metod:  Studien är en deskriptiv litteraturöversikt gjord på elva olika kvalitativa artiklar där forskare har intervjuat patienter som varit på akutmottagningen om deras upplevelser. Dessa har sedan analyserats i olika teman för att besvara syftet. Resultat: Vid analysering av de elva artiklar som studerades framkom tre teman under resultatet, dessa var Information och kommunikation, Förhållningssätt samt Maktlöshet och rädsla. Patienterna hade blandade upplevelser av hur bemötandet på olika akutmottagningar var. De upplevde både att personalen var professionella och erfarna, samtidigt som patienterna saknade ordentlig information och kommunikation. De långa väntetiderna var påfrestande och kunde leda till att patienterna kände sig bortglömda och maktlösa Slutsats: Personalen på akutmottagningar behöver förbättra hur de informerar patienterna om triage, väntetider och planerade undersökningar för att möjliggöra en bättre upplevelse för de patienter som behöver vänta en längre stund på hjälp och undersökning. / Background: Patients come to the emergency department with different types of illness and diseases. At the emergency department (ED) the patients can feel scared and helpless, which makes the interaction between the health professionals and the patients important to induce a feeling safety and comfort. Purpose: Describe the patients’ experience of the interaction with health professionals at the ED. Method: This study is a descriptive literature study based on eleven different qualitative studies in which researchers have been interviewing patients about their experience during their visit to the ED. These studies were then analysed in search of common themes in order to answer the purpose. Result: When analysing the eleven articles, three different themes were apparent: Information and communication, Approach and Powerlessness and fear. It shows the patients had mixed experiences of the meeting with the health professionals at the ED. They experienced both that they were professional and meticulous, at the same time as they felt a lack of information and communication. The long waiting time /was stressful and could cause the patients to feel forgotten and powerless. Conclusion: The health professionals at the ED’s could improve their skills in informing the patients about triage, waiting times and planned examinations to improve the experience of the patients that need to wait a longer time for help and examination.