Crowding in the Emergency Department: Challenges and Recommendations for the Care of Children

Emergency department (ED) crowding results when available resources cannot meet the demand for emergency services. ED crowding has negative impacts on patients, health care workers, and the community. Primary considerations for reducing ED crowding include improving the quality of care, patient safe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2023-03, Vol.151 (3), p.1
Main Authors: Gross, Toni K, Lane, Natalie E, Timm, Nathan L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child
Crowding
Delivery of Health Care
Emergency medical care
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Service, Hospital
Health care
Humans
Medical personnel
Patients
Pediatrics
Quality of care
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Summary:Emergency department (ED) crowding results when available resources cannot meet the demand for emergency services. ED crowding has negative impacts on patients, health care workers, and the community. Primary considerations for reducing ED crowding include improving the quality of care, patient safety, patient experience, and the health of populations, as well as reducing the per capita cost of health care. Evaluating causes, effects, and seeking solutions to ED crowding can be done within a conceptual framework addressing input, throughput, and output factors. ED leaders must coordinate with hospital leadership, health system planners and policy decision makers, and those who provide pediatric care to address ED crowding. Proposed solutions in this policy statement promote the medical home and timely access to emergency care for children.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.2022-060971