Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 06355, Republic of Korea.
SNU Business School, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Sep 12;24(1):1058. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11414-0.
Effective communication between patients and healthcare providers in the emergency department (ED) is challenging due to the dynamic nature of the ED environment. This study aimed to trial a chat service enabling patients in the ED and their family members to ask questions freely, exploring the service's feasibility and user experience.
To identify the types of needs and inquiries from patients and family members in the ED that could be addressed through the chat service and to assess the user experience of the service.
We enrolled patients and family members aged over 19 years in the ED, providing the chat service for up to 4 h per ED visit. Trained research nurses followed specific guidelines to respond to messages from the participants. After participation, participants were required to complete a survey. Those who agreed also participated in interviews to provide insights on their experiences with the ED chat service.
A total of 40 participants (20 patients and 20 family members) sent 305 messages (72 by patients and 233 by family members), with patients sending an average of 3.6 messages and family members 11.7. Research nurses resolved 41.4% of patient inquiries and 70.9% of family member inquiries without further healthcare provider involvement. High usability was reported, with positive feedback on communication with healthcare workers, information accessibility, and emotional support.
The ED chat service was found to be feasible and led to positive user experiences for both patients and their family members.
由于急诊环境的动态性质，患者和医疗保健提供者在急诊部进行有效沟通具有挑战性。本研究旨在试用聊天服务，使急诊部的患者及其家属能够自由提问，探索该服务的可行性和用户体验。
确定可以通过聊天服务解决的急诊部患者和家属的需求和询问类型，并评估该服务的用户体验。
我们招募了年龄在 19 岁以上的急诊部患者和家属，为每位患者的急诊就诊提供长达 4 小时的聊天服务。经过培训的研究护士按照特定指南回复参与者的信息。参与后，参与者需要完成一项调查。那些同意的人还参加了访谈，以提供他们对 ED 聊天服务的体验的见解。
共有 40 名参与者（20 名患者和 20 名家属）发送了 305 条消息（72 条来自患者，233 条来自家属），患者平均发送 3.6 条消息，家属发送 11.7 条。研究护士解决了 41.4%的患者咨询和 70.9%的家属咨询，无需进一步医疗服务提供者介入。报告了高可用性，对与医疗工作者的沟通、信息可及性和情感支持给予了积极反馈。
ED 聊天服务被发现是可行的，并为患者及其家属带来了积极的用户体验。
