Emergency department patient boarding issues and outcomes

ED Patient Boarding

Overcrowding in ED Patient Boarding

Canadian hospitals today are seeing some major issues that need strong and ambitious solutions. One of those problems is the clear overcrowding of ED units. Overwhelmed emergency departments actually prove to be more of a breeding ground for problems and infections in the boarding ED patients.

Overcrowding is a huge concern for healthcare management professionals around the globe. There has been a sharp increase in patients seeking ED units, and often many hospitals prove not to be capable of adapting to the growing demand. In fact, "Few hospitals can keep up with the demand. Patient crowding in EDs, particularly in urban areas, can be epidemic," (McLarty & Jeffers 2008 p 1). Overcrowding produces a whole host of other problems to the ED unit. Some can potentially include a diversion of the ED altogether and delays in surgery (Zimmerman 2004). Additionally, overpopulation can result in increased waiting times for ED patients in general, which can have the negative effect of people actually turning away from the health they needed in the first place. Moreover, patients in need of more intensive care are also much more susceptible to contracting infections while in overcrowded ED rooms. Unfortunately, the research also shows that the longer a patient stays in ED housing, the greater the risk of contracting such infections are (McLarty & Jeffers 2008). Thus, there is a clear need within the healthcare industry to find effective solutions for reducing ED overcrowding.

This change is difficult to determine. In fact, "Increasing beds or staffing levels is not necessarily the nest fix," (Zimmerman 2004 p 33). Overall, a reduction of the number of patients being held in ED sections proves to be one of the most effective strategies of change to address the growing problem. This would include more effective use of space and transfer strategies. There needs to be available strategies to help release some of the overcrowding within ED areas, especially within the context of peak periods.

Therefore, the research will look to find the most effective are to actually place these overflowing patients, where they are still in reach of ED services, while not overcrowding the actual ward itself. This research will explore the use of electric bed tracking systems as a way to effectively manage over populated areas and make the most advantage of other wards with less population. Research suggests that "Electric systems for tracking bed status can be helpful in increasing the transparency of bed availability," (McLarty & Jeffers 2008 p 3). Are such practices feasible in an already tight hospital budget?