Managing Overcrowding in the Emergency Department. A Review

Academic Paper from the year 2023 in the subject Health - Public Health, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this paper is to pinpoint the root causes, consequences, and remedies of emergency department overpopulation. Hospital and emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a serious problem that has an impact on patient treatment and results. For the purpose of improving hospital capacity and patient flow, it is imperative to comprehend the causes of congestion. An overview of the studies on overcrowding and its effects on healthcare delivery is given in this article. These techniques can ease hospital overcrowding, improve patient flow, and decrease wait times. Additionally, recognizing and controlling hospital overpopulation has showed promise when using data analytics and predictive modeling. Hospitals can proactively allocate resources, change personnel levels, and manage patient flow to avoid congestion by studying previous data and forecasting future demand. This approach has been shown to improve patient outcomes, reduce wait times, and enhance overall hospital efficiency. Understanding overcrowding factors, bed capacity deficits, is crucial for effective strategies. Optimizing bed capacity, patient flow, and data analytics improves hospital care quality and reduces overcrowding.