Alleviating Emergency Room Patient Overload during a Disaster (AERPOD)

Abstract

GC. The Emergency Unit of Black Lion Hospital serves more than 20,000 patients per year. It was distinguished and emergency department crowding is one of the leading problems facing emergency physicians, nurses, and their patients. Multiple factors identified a cause for emergency unit crowding. Methods: Before the implementation of the project, the root cause of the emergency unit was overcrowding (patient process hold up); the input and output was analyzed using Ishikawa Cause and Effect Diagram in order to identify the factors that affected the emergency unit crowding. Results: Since 2014, there have been significant improvements regarding the attendant/patient flow in the emergency unit following interventions that were implemented. Some of the interventions identified included: proper indoor waiting areas which have adequate space and audio visual aids; patient identification cards; a separate entry/exit point for patients, attendants, and health professionals, as well as a scheduled patient visiting time; an information desk at the front gate; and encouraging ownership and collaborative activities in the emergency unit flow by all members of staffs and other stakeholders. Separate diagnostic, pharmacy, and cashier areas from patient examination and triage areas are all interventions that were implemented. Conclusion: The way forward is to work towards 100% compliance, with 1:1 Patient:Attendant ratio at 100 %, through the strengthened implementation of all the strategies identified.