Study measures impact of emergency department ombudsman

The author's study indicates that an ombudsman can alleviate some of the chronic complaints that plague emergency departments: long waiting, the perceived impersonality of harried staff members, and a lack of information and emotional support. Although length of visit was not significantly reduced, patients and their companions were less concerned about waiting time and were better able to understand and accept delays. The presence of the ombudsman decreased the proportion of respondents who approached staff members with a question or a request, thereby freeing staff to concentrate on treatment. The ombudsman was enthusiastically received by patients, who described positive experiences of emotional support and increased information. The ombudsman's activity also eliminated below average or poor ratings of medical care and overall services in the emergency department. Contact with the ombudsman was associated with increased understanding of instructions and more frequent follow-up. The study results indicate that the services of an ombudsman are a useful adjunct to technical skills in the delivery of emergency care and that use of an ombudsman can be a preventive measure against common complaints. The large volume of visits to community hospital emergency departments, in numbers that far exceed annual admissions, suggest that an ombudsman has a potential impact on improving the image of these institutions within the community.