Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Karin Polifko

Abstract

Hospital systems and health care leaders struggle to provide safe and efficient care to patients seeking care in the emergency department (ED). EDs are experiencing a high influx of patients leading to ED overcrowding and causing stress on the department to manage patient flow more efficiently. The inability to manage patient flow properly limits the ability to provide safe, effective, and timely care to patients. Many solutions have been proposed to decrease overcrowding though the main focus of this study was the implementation of a more efficient patient flow strategy, known as immediate bedding. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the immediate bedding process on ED length-of-stay (LOS) and ED left-without-being-seen (LWBS) incidences. Specifically, the relationship between U.S. EDs who use the immediate bedding process versus U.S. EDs who do not use the immediate bedding process was assessed. A sample size of approximately 18,000, from the NHAMCS of 2015, was evaluated against the variables of immediate bedding, LOS, and LWBS. An independent t test and a chi-square test were used to analyze the secondary data sets. The data analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between immediate bedding and ED LOS; however, there was no statistically significant relationship between immediate bedding and ED LWBS. The results of this study can be used to create new policies and procedures for U.S. EDs while guiding hospital leadership in improving patient flow, patient satisfaction, and patient outcomes. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce patient wait times, improve patients’ health outcomes, and improve the functionality of EDs.

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