Journal
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
Volume 12, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12020279
Keywords
overcrowding; emergency department; length of stay; waiting time; inpatient boarding; triage; hospital emergency services; ed patient flow; ambulance diversion; emergency outpatient unit; patient safety
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Overcrowding has been identified as a major issue affecting global health and the healthcare system, especially in emergency departments. In order to address this problem, it is crucial to accurately define it and find effective solutions.
It is certain and established that overcrowding represents one of the main problems that has been affecting global health and the functioning of the healthcare system in the last decades, and this is especially true for the emergency department (ED). Since 1980, overcrowding has been identified as one of the main factors limiting correct, timely, and efficient hospital care. The more recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the accentuation of this phenomenon, which was already well known and of international interest. Considering what would appear to be a trivial definition of overcrowding, it may seem simple for the reader to hypothesize solutions for what seems to be one of the most avoidable problems affecting the hospital system. However, proposing solutions to overcrowding, as well as their implementation, cannot be separated from a correct and precise definition of the issue, which must consider the main causes and aggravating factors. In light of the need of finding solutions that can put an end to hospital overcrowding, this review aims, through a review of the literature, to summarize the triggering factors, as well as the possible solutions that can be proposed.
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