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The International Federation for Emergency Medicine report on emergency department crowding and access block: A brief summary
Author(s) -
Javidan Arshia P,
Hansen Kim,
Higginson Ian,
Jones Peter,
Lang Eddy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.13660
Subject(s) - crowding , medicine , emergency department , task force , block (permutation group theory) , medical emergency , task (project management) , nursing , management , public administration , geometry , mathematics , neuroscience , political science , economics , biology
Objective To develop comprehensive guidance that captures international impacts, causes, and solutions related to ED crowding and access block. Methods Emergency physicians representing 15 countries from all the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) regions composed the task force. Monthly meetings were held via video‐conferencing software to achieve consensus for report content. The report was submitted and approved by the IFEM Board on June 1, 2020. Results A total of 14 topic dossiers, each relating to an aspect of ED crowding, were researched and completed collaboratively by members of the task force. Conclusions The IFEM report is a comprehensive document intended to be used in whole or by section to inform and address aspects of ED crowding and access block. Overall, ED crowding is a multifactorial issue requiring systems‐wide solutions applied at local, regional, and national levels. Access block is the predominant contributor of ED crowding in most parts of the world.