Global Research Trends and Empirical Evidence on Physician Response Time and Family Psychological Outcomes in Emergency Departments: A Bibliometric Study
Abstract
Physician response time is a key performance indicator in Emergency Departments (ED), influencing service efficiency and quality of care. Although research has expanded, the literature remains fragmented, limiting a comprehensive understanding of global research trends and thematic development. This study aims to analyse global research trends, scientific contributions, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution related to physician response time in ED using a bibliometric approach. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 2016 and 2025. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, 166 eligible articles were analysed using Bibliometrix (RStudio) and VOSviewer to evaluate publication trends, citation performance, collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence. A total of 166 articles from 91 journals were included. The annual publication growth rate reached 16.18%, with an average of 13.2 citations per document. The United States was the leading contributor, while international collaboration accounted for 15.66% of publications. Dominant research themes focused on emergency department performance, waiting time, patient flow, patient satisfaction, and quality of care. Family-related psychological outcomes appeared as an emerging but underexplored research area. Research on physician response time has evolved from operational performance toward broader healthcare quality perspectives. The findings highlight opportunities for international research and health policies that integrate operational efficiency with patient- and family-centred emergency care.
Keywords: Physician response time, Emergency department, Bibliometric analysis, Patient satisfaction, Family psychological outcomes
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30829/contagion.v8i3.29452
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