Reasons for crowded EDs vary among hospitals, communities, GAO says.
While no single issue explains the main reason for overcrowding in hospital emergency departments (EDs), the inability to transfer emergency patients to inpatient beds quickly once a decision to admit them has been made appears to be an important contributing factor at many hospitals, according to a new report on ED overcrowding from the U.S. General Accounting Office.
D000289:Admitting Department, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D003441:Crowding; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D014481:United States; D037041:United States Government Agencies