Early lessons from COVID-19 that may reduce future emergency department crowding

Laurie Mazurik; Arshia P Javidan; Ian Higginson; Simon Judkins; David Petrie; Colin A Graham; John Bonning; Kim Hansen; Eddy Lang

doi:10.1111/1742-6723.13612

Early lessons from COVID-19 that may reduce future emergency department crowding

Emerg Med Australas. 2020 Dec;32(6):1077-1079. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.13612. Epub 2020 Sep 16.

Authors

Laurie Mazurik¹, Arshia P Javidan^{2

3}, Ian Higginson⁴, Simon Judkins⁵, David Petrie⁶, Colin A Graham⁷, John Bonning⁸, Kim Hansen^{9

10}, Eddy Lang^{11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Emergency Department, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
³ Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Emergency Department, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK.
⁵ Department of Emergency Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
⁸ Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.
⁹ Emergency Department, Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
¹⁰ Emergency Department, St. Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
¹¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
¹² Department of Emergency Medicine, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant changes in emergency medicine patient volumes, clinical practice, and has accelerated a number of systems-level developments. Many of these changes produced efficiencies in emergency care systems and contributed to a reduction in crowding and access block. In this paper, we explore these changes, analyse their risks and benefits and examine their sustainability for the future to the extent that they may combat crowding. We also examine the necessity of a system-wide approach in addressing ED crowding and access block.

Keywords: COVID-19; access block; crowding.

MeSH terms

COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
Cross Infection / prevention & control
Crowding*
Emergency Service, Hospital / organization & administration*
Emergency Service, Hospital / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
Risk Factors
Telemedicine