Date of Publication:
DEC 2012
Associated Project:
REMCS Measure Topic Prioritization Abstract
Despite calls for reducing crowding and the Institute of
Medicine’s appeal to end the boarding of admitted patients, emergency department
(ED) crowding continues to worsen in U.S. hospitals. While there has been a
proliferation of proven interventions to reduce ED and hospital crowding and
boarding, many hospitals do not have a strategy to address the crowding issue
locally. To improve quality and performance, measurement of hospitals and
healthcare systems related to crowding and boarding is needed for public
reporting and accountability purposes. This report discusses priority areas and
reviews issues to consider in the development of candidate voluntary consensus
standards for hospitals, healthcare systems and regions in the areas of ED and
hospital crowding including, boarding and diversion, emergency preparedness,
and surge capacity.