Effects of emergency department expansion on emergency department patient flow.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Emergency department (ED) crowding is an increasing problem associated with adverse patient outcomes. ED expansion is one method advocated to reduce ED crowding. The objective of this analysis was to determine the effect of ED expansion on measures of ED crowding.

Methods

This was a retrospective study using administrative data from two 11-month periods before and after the expansion of an ED from 33 to 53 adult beds in an academic medical center. ED volume, staffing, and hospital admission and occupancy data were obtained either from the electronic health record (EHR) or from administrative records. The primary outcome was the rate of patients who left without being treated (LWBT), and the secondary outcome was total ED boarding time for admitted patients. A mult

SUBMITTER: Mumma BE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4046120 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature