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Group seeks solutions for ED overcrowding

Case Management Weekly, July 27, 2005

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During the American College of Emergency Physicians'(ACEP) meeting on Tuesday, July 26, organizations concerned about overcrowding in the nation's emergency departments (ED) combined forces in search of solutions for this augmenting problem. Among the concerns discussed by the session's participants was the increase in annual visits to the ED. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 26% increase in such visits between 1993 and 2003, totaling the number of visits to 113.9 million--all of which occurred during an increase in ED closures. Another concern discussed by the group that came out of ACEP survey findings was the potential for increased ambulance diversions. According to the survey's results, more than a third of emergency medical services physicians reported experiencing increased ambulance diversions to the facilities where they practice. On the patient side, the study showed more than half of Americans were concerned about ambulance diversion.

Source: AHANews.com

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