|
|
Article: Study: About half the nation's hospitals experience crowded emergency departments.
- Article from:
- The Mountaineer (Waynesville, NC)
- Article date:
- December 29, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 The Mountaineer. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Byline: Peggy Manning
Dec. 29--Between 40 to 50 percent of U.S. hospitals experience crowded conditions in the emergency department, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics.
The report, titled "Staffing, Capacity, and Ambulance Diversion in Emergency Departments: United States, 2003-04," contains a number of findings, based on 2003-o04 data, including:
-- An average of 4,500 EDs were in operation in the United States.
-- Crowding in metropolitan EDs was associated with a higher percentage of nursing vacancies, higher patient volume, and longer patient waiting and treatment ...