Results of a new HealthLeaders Media survey provide a glimpse of issues and trends for the hospital emergency department.
Patient flow is cited as the greatest strategic challenge related to the ED. However, three-quarters of survey respondants reported average wait times for ED patients to see a provider were an hour or less. The average ED wait for an inpatient bed was up to 3 hours for 69% of the EDs represented, with 27% having bed wait times in the 4-6 hour range. Just under half of those surveyed indicated their EDs were overcrowded.
Nearly all of those surveyed reported efforts underway to improve ED efficiency, and the most effective techniques given are ranked.
When asked about the ED’s contribution margin to the bottom line of its hospital, 37% didn’t know and another 37% said it fell in the 1-10% range.
Source: Cantlupe J. Volume, flow, and safety issues in the ED. HealthLeaders Media Intelligence Report, May 2012.http://content.hcpro.com/pdf/content/279647.pdf
Posted by AHA Resource Center, (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org
Filed under: Benchmarking, Emergency department, Posted by Diana Culbertson | Tagged: emergency wait times, Patient flow, timeliness |
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