ER Waits For Hospital Beds Are Deadly. Many Hospitals Aren’t Fixing The Problem

The issue of boarding, where patients wait in the emergency room (ER) after being admitted to the hospital, is a severe and ongoing crisis with deadly consequences. Despite awareness of the risks associated with boarding, many hospitals have been slow to implement effective solutions. Various factors contribute to this, including perverse incentives prioritizing surgical patients over ER patients, challenges in enacting known strategies, and a lack of accountability from accrediting bodies. While some progress is being made, such as legal restrictions on boarding and the development of new quality metrics, significant change is unlikely in the near future. Patients may continue to experience long waits in the ER until systemic improvements are made.