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CMW News: Psychiatric patients contribute to ED overcrowding

Case Management Weekly, June 25, 2008

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In a survey recently conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians, nearly 80% of hospitals said mentally ill patients sometimes wait four hours or more to be admitted, and 10% said these patients sometimes wait more than a day.

The survey also showed only 30% of hospitals reported wait times of more than four hours for non-psychiatric patients. According to USA Today, this is because the number of psychiatric beds in U.S. hospitals has fallen 12% since 2000.

The survey showed that not only are mentally ill patients waiting longer, but 61% of hospitals do not have psychiatric staff caring for them while they wait in the ED, even though they receive treatment for other medical problems.

Overall, emergency departments in the U.S. saw a 14% increase in the number of patients admitted for treatment of all illnesses and injuries between 2001 and 2005, which adds to overcrowding and increased wait times for all patients.

Source: USA Today

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