Poor space planning, patient confusion are swamping emergency rooms despite efforts to address overcrowding, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.
In Boston, Massachusetts General Hospital's ED is at capacity less than five years after opening a $500 million expansion.
The problem is that 30 to 45 beds in shared rooms go unused because staff can't match patient gender or don't want to put someone in a room with disruptive patients.
"One of the clear lessons learned is the value of single rooms," Sally Mason Boemer, senior vice president of finance, told The Boston Globe. "There were more demands than we anticipated."
How Retail Design Can Improve the Healthcare Patient Experience
Jefferson Health Breaks Ground on Lehigh Valley Hospital—Coopersburg
Encompass Health Plans Second Small-Format Rehabilitation Hospital
Rethinking How Healthcare Facilities Fund Construction Projects
Winners Named for the 15th Annual Healthcare Design Awards