Summary: As rising volumes and overcrowding affect EDs nationwide, hospitals are eager to reduce waits, notch up efficiency and, in turn, improve patient satisfaction. Drawing from her organization's 2008 ED Pulse Report, Press Ganey Vice President of Public Policy Deirdre Mylod, Ph.D., describes some strategies that can positively impact ED usage. She shares ideas from high-ranking EDs on coping with overcrowding and analyzes the impact that medical homes, retail clinics and patient education could have on ED trends. A lack of throughput for truly urgent patients, rather than the numbers of uninsured or underinsured patients in waiting rooms, is really at the root of ED overcrowding, she says. Dr. Mylod also shares what ED physicians at a magnet hospital are doing to improve patient satisfaction marks and why communication and comfort go hand in hand in the ED waiting room. A July 30, 2008 webinar, Emergency Department Diversion Through Behavioral Health Linkages, provides more information on alleviating the strain on EDs.
