Emergency Department (In)efficiency - Why patients wait 6 hours...and die in the waiting room.

I've worked at more than a few places...both EDs and urgent cares. I can finally say I now fully appreciate the difference between a 'physician efficient' ED and...one that's not.One of my gripes about working in the ED as a doctor is...the place isn't set up to maximize physician efficiency. Sure, they expect you to see 2.5 patients an hour...but when it takes 20 minutes to log into the various computer programs, trouble shoot the printing process, and then find said printout to sign and place with the chart (if you can find the chart)...there's no way the "goal" of 2.5 patients can be reached.Let's take last night......there were 4 docs there, only 2 computers available for our use. My kindergartner can tell you that 4 docs need 4 computers. As everything is computerized now, I can't even look up lab results, or discharge a patient without using the computer. So, I found myself standing...waiting...for a computer to open. While patients have been in the waiting room for 6 hours or more. Then, when 'productivity' scores are released, it seems we're just...slow. And to compensate for the utter inefficiency of the system...doctors are expected to 'just speed up'. Making an already stressful, high-liability, acute situation...even moreso. There are only so many corners you can cut. So, some of my colleagues will opt to stay hours past their shift, doing charts, and continuing to dispo patients...stuff that they should have done hours prior (which would be both better for the pa...
Source: EM Physician - Backstage Pass - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Source Type: blogs