M.C. van der Linden
Medical Centre Haaglanden & Bronovo, Netherlands
Title: Differences in emergency department overcrowding between a developing country and a developed country
Biography
Biography: M.C. van der Linden
Abstract
Summary: Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has been extensively described in hospitals in developed countries. However, lower amounts of resources may result in more severe overcrowding in developing countries. The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight into key issues and bottlenecks affecting patient flow, and into promising solutions to reduce overcrowding, which apply to hospitals all over the world. Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is an international crisis affecting patient care. ED overcrowding is associated with delays in treatment, diminished quality of care, and increased inpatient mortality. The problem of ED overcrowding has been extensively described in hospitals in the USA, Canada, and Australia. However, the problem is not limited to developed countries. Although no comparison has been made between overcrowding issues in developed versus developing countries, lower amounts of resources may result in more severe overcrowding in developing countries. In this study, patient flow was compared between the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Pakistan, a developing country, and the Medical Center Haaglanden Westeinde (MCHW) in the Netherlands, a developed country. Key issues and bottlenecks affecting ED patient flow and through analysis of the relative importance of contributing factors, provide insight into promising solutions.