Background: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is among the biggest and most important problems experienced by ED staff. The number of ED visits is on the increase and remains an unresolved problem. Emergency department overcrowding has become an important problem for emergency care services worldwide. There is a relationship between overcrowding and patients' negative experiences of using ED and therefore reporting reduced patients' satisfaction. This study aimed to identify the causes of ED overcrowding, determine the reasons for people's use of EDs, and develop solutions for reducing ED overcrowding.Methods: This study used quantitative methods using a descriptive approach. The participants were patients who visited the ED. A questionnaire was administered to 296 participants between December 2021 and February 2022. The study included 5 different hospitals in Turkey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: This study identified the most common presenting medical problems in the ED and why patients used the ED. Reasons for using the ED included patients perceiving their condition as really urgent (62.8%), the ED being open for 24 hours (36.1%), and receiving faster care in the ED (31.4%). This study also developed recommendations for alleviating ED overcrowding. Conclusion:This study identified causes of ED overcrowding and some solutions for alleviating the issue. Emergency department overcrowding should be perceived as an international problem, and initiatives for solutions should be implemented quickly.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.