Emergency Department: Stakeholders Collaborate To Develop Systemwide Solutions to Emergency Department Boarding

https://www.ahrq.gov/topics/emergency-department.html An AHRQ-authored article in Health Affairs Scholar highlights the importance of a public-private partnership approach to confront emergency department (ED) boarding. The commentary, written in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, opens a forthcoming featured series in the journal encouraging a multifaceted approach to resolving this critical health system issue. Boarding is the practice of keeping admitted patients in the emergency department because of a lack of available inpatient beds—an operational norm that has been proven to result in increased risk of harm, even death. At AHRQ’s 2024 Summit to Address ED Boarding, 100 key stakeholders from public and private sectors gathered in person, with 695 more participants joining online. Participants collaboratively explored five solution areas for the ED boarding problem: a systemwide approach to incentives and transparency, the use of real-time data, meaningful development of the workforce, attention to the unique problems faced by rural facilities, and a strong connection to primary and behavioral care. Read the agency’s full report of the summit for more details (select Emergency Department Boarding).