Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
04:05
Clinical Application of Phase Angle and BIVA Z-Score Analyses in Patients Admitted to an Emergency Department with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 30, 2023
CrowdED: crowding metrics and data visualization in the emergency department.
Laura S Greci1, Christina E Parshalle, Alan Calvitti
1VA San Diego Healthcare System, Health Services Research & Development, San Diego, CA 92161, USA. lgreci@ucsd.edu
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice : JPHMP
|February 8, 2011
Summary
Emergency department crowding was assessed using validated metrics and a novel data visualization technique. Staff workload, patient reneging, and demand value effectively measure crowding, aiding quality improvement.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Operations Research
Background:
- Emergency department (ED) crowding is a significant issue impacting patient care and operational efficiency.
- Existing metrics for ED crowding require validation and may benefit from enhanced visualization techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate established ED crowding metrics within a specific facility.
- To introduce and evaluate a new data visualization method for analyzing ED crowding.
Main Methods:
- A sequential cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban adult veterans administration ED.
- Data on patient flow, resource availability, and staff workload were collected bi-hourly.
- Crowding was assessed using a validated instrument, and logistic regression analyzed trends and significance.
Main Results:
- Patient reneging, demand value, and ED Work Index significantly correlated with the crowding instrument (P < .01).
- Staff workload ranks were a significant predictor of patient reneging (OR 6.0).
- Data visualization effectively presented crowding metrics, supported by logistic regression.
Conclusions:
- Demand value, ED Work Index, and patient reneging are valid indicators of crowding in this ED.
- Staff workload offers a simple, single-question measure of crowding.
- Data visualization can facilitate site-specific analysis to guide quality improvement initiatives aimed at reducing ED crowding.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Applications of GIS: Disaster Management and Emergency Response
Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is essential for risk identification, action prioritization, and resource optimization in critical situations like flooding and earthquakes. By integrating spatial and demographic data, GIS provides a comprehensive framework for emergency response.GIS integrates data layers, like rainfall intensity, topography, elevation profiles, and river levels, to model high-risk flood zones. These layers assess areas susceptible to flooding based on their...
01:30Methods of Documentation VII: EMR
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) primarily center around electronically documenting patients' health information within a single healthcare organization or practice. They contain essential clinical data related to a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, lab results, and other pertinent information relevant to the specific encounter or episode of care. EMRs are designed to streamline documentation and workflow processes within individual healthcare settings,...
01:25Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Epidemiological data primarily involves information on specific populations' occurrence, distribution, and determinants of health and diseases. This data is crucial for understanding disease patterns and impacts, aiding public health decision-making and disease prevention strategies. The analysis of epidemiological data employs various statistical methods to interpret health-related data effectively. Here are some commonly used methods:
01:26Methods of Documentation IV: Focus Charting
Focus Charting, also known as the focus charting system or "focus documentation," is a systematic documentation approach used in healthcare to organize patient information in medical records.
It typically involves three columns for recording information:
It typically involves three columns for recording information:
00:59Hospitals-II
Hospitals provide inpatient and outpatient services. Inpatient services provide care to patients that stay in the hospital for an extended period, ranging from days to months. Examples of inpatient services include intensive care units, hospital wards, or surgeries. Outpatient services provide care to patients who come to a hospital for a diagnostic or treatment but do not stay overnight —for example, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, or health education.
Nurses that work in hospitals have...
Nurses that work in hospitals have...
01:23Methods of Documentation V: CBE
Charting by Exception, or CBE, is a method of documentation used in healthcare, particularly in nursing, that focuses on documenting only significant or abnormal findings rather than recording every detail. This approach aims to streamline the documentation process, improve efficiency, and ensure that healthcare providers can quickly identify deviations from normalcy in patient assessments.
In CBE, healthcare professionals establish predefined standards of practice that define what constitutes...
In CBE, healthcare professionals establish predefined standards of practice that define what constitutes...