The Effect of Boarders on Emergency Department Process Flow

BackgroundEmergency department (ED) overcrowding with boarders and waiting times are a significant concern in many countries.ObjectiveWe aim to show the relationship between boarders in the ED and the percentage time to disposition in under 6 h for our ED patients.MethodA review was carried out to show the percentage of patients presenting to the ED compliant with a 6-h standard per day compared to the number of attendances, the number of admissions to the hospital, and the number of boarders in the ED per day.ResultsOver the 2-year study period, there was an average 0.37% fall in the ED's rate of compliance per day, with a 6-h standard for each boarder in the ED.ConclusionBoarding patients in the ED has a negative effect on compliance with our 6-h standard of time to disposition.