New N.S. Health website shares estimated ER wait times
A Nova Scotia emergency department physician says a new website providing estimated ER wait times will equip patients with valuable information while navigating health care.
Dr. Jan Sommers, head of the Colchester East Hants Health Centre emergency department, said in an interview Tuesday that residents in need of urgent medical care should never be deterred by long wait-time estimates because “people with life-threatening and other highly time-sensitive issues are typically seen without delay.”
The new portal released Tuesday shares estimated wait times, updated hourly, for 10 of the largest emergency departments in Nova Scotia and reflects what a patient can expect if they are “at the lower end of the triage scale,” Sommers said.
Open wait-time data like this reflects a “shift” towards providing more detailed health information to patients, Sommers said.
“We view our patients as partners in their care, and it’s difficult for them to make choices when they don’t have any information.”
“It’s really intended more for situations where people are perhaps experiencing a barrier to care at other locations and they choose to go to an emergency department because they feel it’s the only option, but their health needs are perhaps not as pressing as what we might typically see” at the ER, she said.
Sommers said the new site will give people insight into what kind of experience they can expect ahead of an emergency department visit, assuming the patient is not presenting with urgent care needs.
Steven Carrigan, director of analytics for Nova Scotia Health, said in an interview Tuesday the website uses a combination of historical wait-time data and current ER patient numbers that are updated hourly.
“If there’s a significant change [of patient numbers] within an hour period, it would be accounted for in the next hourly update,” he said. The data is updated using ER patient registration information tracked in the health authority’s internal system.
Carrigan said this effort is “another step” in the health authority’s ongoing focus on increasing public health reporting.
This wait time website comes after the province released its planned changes to the way emergency departments operate in order to ensure residents with urgent needs are treated quickly. This plan, released in January, followed the death of two Nova Scotia women who waited hours for care.
Sommers said this new website is not among the health authority’s many plans to address wait times, but that it’s about catching up to the fact that “we’re really just living in an information age.”
“When you order a package on Amazon you can get an estimate of its delivery time within several hours. So when seeking health care, which is a very important thing, I think it’s worthwhile to know or be able to anticipate how long you might wait to receive care,” Sommers said.
The website is currently tracking some of the largest emergency departments in the province, but Carrigan said he expects it will be expanded to include all ERs in the province in the coming weeks.
In a statement Tuesday, Nova Scotia’s Department of Health said regardless of the predicted wait times, those with the most urgent need are seen first.
“So, it’s very important that this data does not stop Nova Scotians from seeking the care they need when they’re facing an emergency,” the statement said.
Anticipated wait times are currently available for:
- QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax Infirmary site) in Halifax
- Dartmouth General Hospital
- South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater
- Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville
- Yarmouth Regional Hospital
- Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro
- Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst
- Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow
- St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish
- Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.