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Survey: Lack of specialty physicians is the real cause of ED overcrowding

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, February 18, 2004

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Hospital emergency departments (ED) that divert ambulances to other hospitals say that a lack of specialty physician coverage is more to blame than ED overcrowding, according to a new survey of 681 ED managers and administrators.

About 75% of hospitals surveyed said that lack of specialty physician coverage forced them to divert patients to other hospitals. About 33% reported that they have fewer specialists willing to be on call for the ED. Only 18% of respondents said overcrowding caused them to divert patients to other hospitals.

In addition, 15% of administrators said they wouldn't opt to go to their own hospital's ED if they were seriously injured. The survey was conducted by the Schumacher Group, a Lafayette, LA-based ED management firm that surveys hospital ED administrators annually.

The same survey in 2002 found that 65% of 635 hospitals diverted ED patients due to lack of specialty coverage, while 36% cited overcrowding as the reason for the diversions.

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