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."
Mature Dry Surface Biofilm Presents a Problem for Candida Auris
Sutter Health's Arden Care Center Officially Opens
Insight Hospital and Medical Center Falls to Data Breach
The High Cost of Healthcare Violence
EVS Teams Can Improve Patient Experience in Emergency Departments