Patient-Centered Care Model’s Effectiveness in Reducing Patient Waiting Time in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Literature Review

Introduction: The emergency department (ED) is an essential component of any hospital that offers round-the-clock urgent treatment to patients in critical condition. However, lengthy waiting times are expected, which may negatively affect the patient’s health and overall experiences. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of patient-centered care (PCC) models in reducing the time patients spend waiting in the emergency room by synthesizing the available evidence. This was conducted by following the following three research objectives: (i) to identify patient-centered care models implementation in hospital settings, (ii) to assess the effectiveness of patient-centered care models in improving patient outcomes in hospital settings, and(iii) to investigate the impact of prolonged waiting time on healthcare utilization in the ED. Methods: In this systematic review design to be included, an article had to be: full text, in English, peer-reviewed, address the evaluation of the effectiveness of the PCC model in reducing ED wait times, and the ED. Studies were excluded if they were abstracts, not fully available, published in any language other than English, were not peer-reviewed, did not meet the date of search, and were systematic reviews. The study was conducted by computerized databases which included PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINHAL were searched between April 1, 2023–April 17, 2023. The study used the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) statement which has been updated to PRISMA 2020, a reporting guideline designed to address the issue of inadequate systematic review reporting. All the articles that satisfied the predefined inclusion criteria were independently assessed for risk of bias by two independent reviewer. Results: A systematic review design searched the literature on ED context with PCC as the intervention to reduce the waiting time. Two independent reviewers screened the articles (3,114) using the PRISMA and 27 articles were included. Conclusion: Long waiting times resulted in many adverse events for patients, such as delayed treatment and poorer clinical outcomes. PCC can exert a very impressive role contribution to EDs as patients should be integrated with health care providers in their health issues and treated from all perspectives.