Emergency department overcrowding:causes and solutions
作者机构:Department of NursingFaculty of Health SciencesMardin Artuklu UniversityMardinTurkey
出 版 物:《Emergency and Critical Care Medicine》 (急危重症医学(英文))
年 卷 期:2023年第3卷第4期
页 面:171-176页
主 题:Attendance Causes Emergency departments Overcrowding Solutions Visits
摘 要:Background:Emergency department(ED)overcrowding is among the biggest and most important problems experienced by ED staff.The number of ED visits is on the increase and remains an unresolved problem.Emergency department overcrowding has become an important problem for emergency care services worldwide.There is a relationship between overcrowding and patients’negative experi-ences of using ED and therefore reporting reduced patients’satisfaction.This study aimed to identify the causes of ED overcrowding,de-termine the reasons for people’s use of EDs,and develop solutions for reducing ED overcrowding.Methods:This study used quantitative methods using a descriptive approach.The participants were patients who visited the ED.A questionnaire was administered to 296 participants between December 2021 and February 2022.The study included 5 different hospitals in Turkey.The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results:This study identified the most common presenting medical problems in the ED and why patients used the ED.Reasons for using the ED included patients perceiving their condition as really urgent(62.8%),the ED being open for 24 hours(36.1%),and receiving faster care in the ED(31.4%).This study also developed recommendations for alleviating ED overcrowding.Conclusion:This study identified causes of ED overcrowding and some solutions for alleviating the issue.Emergency department over-crowding should be perceived as an international problem,and initiatives for solutions should be implemented quickly.