Emergency Department Overcrowding: Understanding the Factors to Find Corresponding Solutions

• Published in: Journal of personalized medicine Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 279
• Main Authors: Savioli, Gabriele, Ceresa, Iride Francesca, Gri, Nicole, Bavestrello Piccini, Gaia, Longhitano, Yaroslava, Zanza, Christian, Piccioni, Andrea, Esposito, Ciro, Ricevuti, Giovanni, Bressan, Maria Antonietta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14-02-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: COVID-19; Emergency medical care; Emergency services; Health care; Health care policy; Hospital systems; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Length of stay; Literature reviews; Pandemics; Patient satisfaction; Precision medicine; Public health; Review; hospital emergency services; patient safety; waiting time; ambulance diversion; emergency outpatient unit; length of stay; inpatient boarding; ed patient flow; emergency department; overcrowding; triage
• ISSN: 2075-4426; 2075-4426
• DOI: 10.3390/jpm12020279

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.