The effect of having a physician in the triage area on the rate of patients leaving without being seen: A quality improvement initiative at King Fahad Specialist hospital.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of the presence of a physician in the triage area on the number of patients who leave without being seen (LWBS) and some of the factors affecting emergency department (ED) crowding.

Methods: This was a pre-post study carried out at King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The 3-month study, consisting of 7826 patients, was split into pre-physician and post-physician periods.