Management Strategies for Overcrowding in Emergency Medicine Department: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Emergency Medicine Departments (EMDs) are one of the busiest hospital departments in the world, as they are typically the first point of contact for health emergencies and are designed and resourced to manage them. However, due to their potential overflow, EMDs contribute to overcrowding. Overcrowding in the Emergency Department (ED) of hospitals can harm hospitals financially and have negative impacts on patient care, such as lengthening waiting times, diverting ambulances, increasing length of stays, raising medical errors, and elevating patient mortality rates. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the critical situation for EMDs, making it imperative to reduce overcrowding and improve EMD efficiency for patient welfare and safety during this pandemic. Controlling overcrowding should be carried out by the authorities responsible for regulations. This review discusses the effects of EMD crowding on patients’ health status and explores potential solutions through strategic management, including executive leadership involvement, hospital-wide coordination strategies, data-driven management, and performance accountability.

Keywords

• emergency department
• overcrowding
• patient care
• triage
• patient flow
• waiting time