Emergency Department Discharge Turnaround Time and Associated Factors: A Descriptive Retrospective Study for Policy Enhancement

This study determined emergency department (ED) discharge turnaround time (DTAT) and its associated factors in a government-owned primary hospital in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, addressing a gap in Philippine literature. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational-comparative retrospective design was used to analyze 216 adult medical records (September 2025–February 2026) selected through simple random sampling. Given a non-normal distribution (Shapiro-Wilk W = 0.921, p < .001), non-parametric tests were used at α = .05. DTAT averaged 113.88 minutes (Mdn = 99.00), with 63.9% completed within two hours. Pending clinical requirements showed the strongest association (r_rb = .788, p < .001), followed by discharge disposition and imaging turnaround; diagnostic category and laboratory turnaround were not associated. Delays clustered around coordination-level factors rather than fixed patient characteristics, providing facility-level evidence for policy enhancement.