Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Financing Health Care - Part 2
Lecture:Factors Contributing to Increasing U.S. Health Care Costs
Slide content:Emergency Department Overcrowding Lack of key clinical staff a driver of overcrowding Care provided to uninsured and patients with non-urgent conditions not a cause of overcrowding Evidence links overcrowding to reduced health care quality and patient safety 23
Slide notes:A 2009 Robert Wood Johnson study found that the lack of key ED staff is the primary cause of overcrowding, and not overuse by the uninsured or for treatment for non-urgent conditions. This overcrowding is associated with a decrease in quality of care, longer waiting periods for care in the ED, and reduced patient safety. 23