Allina Health Launches New Tool to Help Navigate Emergency Room Wait Times

Allina Health launches a new program to improve patient experience in the Emergency Room. It’s called ERAdvisor, and the West Health Emergency Room in Plymouth is one of the facilities using the system.

Here’s how it works: Once patients check in and go through triage, they can launch the web-based application via their cell phone. The program will then give patients updates throughout their visit.

Allina Health launched ERAdvisor early December. The system gives patients real-time updates on wait times.

“Once you are triaged, the wait time is sent to you via text, and you click the link in the text, and it opens a web page that’s personalized to you, and what you anticipated wait time is based on what you’re coming to the emergency room with,” explained Chris DuFresne, Vice President, Digital Products and Marketing Technology, Allina Health.

Allina nurses and other staff say the new program means patients can immediately have the information they need regarding wait times. 

“We’re sending them updates, and we definitely try to get care started early in the triage process,” said Jon Zylka, R.N. Patient Care Supervisor at Allina Health. “As far as lab work goes, any imaging, things like that, they can see those updates when they’re happening.”

Allina Health is the only healthcare system in Minnesota to use ERAdvisor. Officials plan to add more features to the system in the future.

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