Investigation on convenience in emergency rooms of 78 leading general public hospitals in China

Abstract

Objective To investigate whether emergency rooms in major general public hospitals are reasonably designed and convenient for patients. Methods 78 major public hospitals were selected from all over China, except Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, for emergency room convenience analysis. The standards in use were the Standards of Hospitals of Joint commission International Accreditation. Results The investigation found in such hospitals the following: poor road conditions outside the clinic and insufficient guides in the clinic; long-than-expected distance (normally over 50 meters) from ER to imaging departments (such as X-ray and CT scan service); ERs in provincial capital cities are significantly more convenient than those in non-capital cities; distance from ERs to CT service is significantly shorter in hospitals in eastern China than those middle and western China. Conclusions Parameters on ER's service quality from Standards of Hospitals could serve as a guideline to emergency medicine in China. ERs in China need to improve with conspicuous ER signs, unblocked passageways, and convenient access to inspection departments. Key words: Emergency room; Convenience; Appraisal standards of hospitals; Investigation