RESUMEN
Patients' satisfaction with the functional capacity and attitude of the permanent staff working in the morning hours in the emergency department (ED) of a community hospital was compared with that of the staff working during the evening and night shifts. A total of 285 patients given care in the ED were interviewed according to a 'satisfaction' questionnaire regarding the function and attitude of the ED staff during the morning and evening/night shifts. The mean waiting time until a doctor was seen during the morning shift was 25 +/- 17 minutes for non-hospitalized patients and 25 +/- 8 minutes for the hospitalized ones, whereas during the evening and night hours the waiting times were 22 +/- 17 minutes and 19 +/- 13 minutes respectively. The number of laboratory examinations performed during the evening and night shifts markedly exceeded that carried out during the morning. The mean staying time in the ED for both non-hospitalized and hospitalized patients during the morning was by 23% shorter than that during the evening and night shifts. The patients expressed their overall satisfaction with the ED staff in both shifts with high evaluation marks. It is concluded that the survey indicates that the permanent ED staff during the morning hours are more efficient compared with those working during the evening and night shifts.