Patients with non-urgent medical needs can now avoid crowded hospital lobbies thanks to a new initiative that lets them join a virtual queue from the comfort of their homes before heading to Sault hospital
Sault Area Hospital has launched the first phase of a virtual home waiting room.
The VHWR is an emergency department for patients with eligible non-urgent conditions, which began in November with a goal of improving patient experiences in the emergency department.
Triage and registration occurs at the emergency department.
Once you join the VHWR via the hospital website, you can get a live text update every 60 minutes detailing your current place in the waiting room. When you arrive at the hospital, you will be triaged and registered and then wait to be seen by a care provider.
“We are excited to introduce an innovative Virtual Home Waiting Room for patients who would rather wait in the comfort of their home or other location and do not want to wait in a hospital waiting room,” said Dr. Stephen Smith, vice-president of medical affairs and emergency department physician.
“In addition, the Virtual Home Waiting Room allows care providers to streamline patient flow, reduce peak time congestion, and enhance operational efficiency by notifying patients of the optimal time to visit the Emergency Department.”
Eligible conditions include:
cough, cold, sore throat
earache
rashes
dental pain
prescription renewal
suture or staple removal
minor cuts and scrapes
sprains and strains
burning with urination
Currently, 10 patients per day can join the virtual home waiting room with the potential for it to expand in the future.