Emergency department patients who leave without being seen (LWBS): A population-based study in Veneto region, Italy

Abstract

Although it is commonly thought that patients who LWBS have non urgent medical problems, some studies have shown that they may actually require important medical attention on further consultation, such as hospitalization or surgery [3,4,12] and also, many patients who LWBS seek further medical care elsewhere [13]. As these patients may have important clinical outcomes and therefore require a critical treatment, the health system missed an opportunity of contact with these patients. The rate of patients who LWBS has been considered one of the most important performance indicators for EDs [6,14,15].