A version of this article was published in the January 2024 edition of Healthcare News.
In the post-pandemic world, the healthcare system remains at or over capacity, leaving many organizations struggling with how to meet patient demand.
Some of the primary issues plaguing the system include:
- An aging population
- Exacerbation of acute health conditions
- Lack of access to primary care providers and urgent care
- Staffing issues that includes shortages, turnover, and burnout
The emergency department (ED) is an open door for those in need of healthcare, and overcrowding has become the norm.
Overcrowding inside the ED causes additional risks for a healthcare organization, including lack of quality and safe care, regulatory violations, patient dissatisfaction, low staff engagement, physician dissatisfaction, and more.
Throughput and left without being seen
One key issue that causes EDs to be overcrowded is throughput within the department. Throughput in an ED is defined as time of arrival to time of dismissal — and the key driving metric within that timeframe is door to doctor. Simply, how long after a patient arrives at the ED does it take for the provider to perform their first evaluation?
The current national average for time patients spend in the ED prior to discharge is approximately 180 minutes, with leading practices closer to 150 minutes. This number can be slightly different based on the organization’s annual number of visits. However, often organizations that successfully manage their ED length of stay can mitigate some of the risk of overcrowding.
Another risk caused by overcrowding in the ED is patients that leave prior to being medically screened by a provider or before their treatment is complete. This can cause two issues:
- The patient didn’t receive the necessary treatment and will likely return at a different time — possibly more acutely ill than on first arrival
Related sections
