NASHVILLE — HCA’s TriStar Health System will begin incorporating a QR code in the Fast ER Wait Times campaign to help link consumers to information about the average emergency room wait times at hospitals throughout Middle Tennessee. 

The average wait to be seen by a physician or qualified medical professional at a TriStar emergency room is 25 minutes—well below the national average of approximately 60 minutes.
 
“This provides just one more element to inform the community about our emergency room process improvements that have led to a dramatic reduction in the average wait times at all TriStar hospital emergency rooms,” said Larry Kloess, president of HCA’s TriStar Division.  “The convenience of our QR code allows us to instantly communicate with our healthcare consumers, providing access to the information needed to make informed decisions about where they turn if emergency services are needed.”
 
A QR, or “Quick Response,” code is a matrix barcode that can be read by a QR scanner, downloaded as a free   application to many smartphones. 

The app uses the camera phone to scan the code and direct the Internet browser to the webpage the code is linked. 

QR codes connect people to additional information without requiring them to type in or remember a complicated URL.
 
TriStar’s new QR code serves as a convenience tool to direct healthcare consumers to the average wait times on a mobile-friendly page. 

The page can be bookmarked into a mobile device for on-the-go access at any time. 

“Once the information is saved into a smartphone, the current average wait time at any TriStar facility is at your fingertips,” Kloess said.
 
TriStar began the Fast ER campaign last year to share the news of its process improvement initiatives aimed at eliminating duplication of effort, time-wasters and excess processing in its emergency rooms. 

The campaign incorporates billboards that feature a digital clock reading for average wait times at TriStar hospitals. 

It also utilizes a text messaging feature that allows consumers to text ER to 23000 from any mobile device to get the average wait times at hospitals nearest to the zip code where they are located. 

TriStar also uses print, radio, television and other mediums to help communicate wait times to consumers. 

The QR code for hospital wait times will be included in print materials for the campaign, which will continue through 2011.

For more information about TriStar Health System, or for a physician referral, call TriStar MedLineSM at 615-342-1919 or toll-free outside of Nashville at 1-800-242-5662 or visit TriStarHealth.com.