Why is this measure important?

Many patients who visit the Emergency Department do not need further care in the hospital. These patients are sent home, or discharged, from the Emergency Department. Reducing the time patients need to spend in the Emergency Department improves their comfort and satisfaction.

What does this measure show?

This measure shows the median number of minutes patients spend in the Emergency Department before they are sent home (discharged).

Definition of median: This is the half-way point in the data. One-half of patients spent less than this time, and one-half spent longer.

For this measure, a lower number is better.