An analysis of emergency department time: laying the groundwork for efficiency standards.

A time and motion study of emergency department (ED) patient waiting time was conducted at the University Medical Center at the Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson as a follow-up to a more general study. The time and motion study examined waiting times associated with all phases of emergency care delivery and various levels of patient acuity. The time it took for other departments to provide services and procedures was seen as a significant contributing factor to ED waiting time. Data from this study have already been used to help the medical center identify and correct ED inefficiencies.