Literature Survey on Emergency Room Boarding

Running head: HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT
HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HEALTHCARE
Literature survey
For the purpose of conducting a literature survey, several databases were searched for
like Google scholar, Pubmed, ResearchGate and others. For this purpose the specific keywords
that were used included the words pertaining to the given topic “Emergency room boarding”.
Hence these words were searched for in the above mentioned databases. Filter as applied in
terms that only quantitative study was required for this particular research and critical appraisal.
The purpose of literature review or literature survey is in the context of a scholarly paper is based
on the fact that it helps to review the current knowledge which includes the substantial findings
along with the methodological and the theoretical contributions associated with the given topic.
The topic that this study deals with is associated to the issues of emergency department
boarding. According to the previous studies, it has been seen that there is an association of the
emergency department (ED) with the various negative patient-oriented outcomes which is often
related to the lack of patient satisfaction to the increased rate of inpatient mortality (Sun et al.,
2013). The issues related to Emergency department crowding along with the inpatient capacity
which is inadequate, which comprises the most significant issues in terms of hospital care in
recent times. According to the studies, the cause of ED crowding is the periodic mismatches that
includes the bed space and the staff that are insufficient (Viccellio et al., 2013). The
manifestation caused by ED crowding depends on the wait for patients which is seen by the
providers along with the rate of patients, who are not observed by the doctors yet, longer stays in
the ED, and longer wait-times before inpatient bed placement (White et al., 2013). Reasons for
the focus on the amount of ED crowding which is only undesirable due to the patients however
the ED crowding is often seen to be related the delays in the administration of important

2HEALTHCARE
medications along with the higher rates of complications that occurs after ED evaluation that in
turn leads to an elevated rate of mortality.
Critical appraisal
Type of qualitative research design
A retrospective cohort study was conducted as a qualitative research which aimed to
explore the association that was present between that of the length of ED boarding and outcomes
which were related to the boarded ED patients at a single hospital (Singer et al., 2013).
Results valid/trustworthy and credible
The results were credible as the study was able to develop a unique system that helped to
deal with the Emergency department crowding. Additionally the research involved the use of the
electronic medical record (EMR) system which was implemented for the purpose of extracting
the demographics of the patients along with the clinical data for each of the patient involved in
the study.
Participants chosen
All the participants involved in the study were patients or suffers, who were admitted to
the healthcare facility through the Emergency department and were cleared from the hospital
within the October 2005 and September 2008. All of these individuals were involved in the
study. The exclusion standards included lack of information regarding the LOS, misplaced data
of ICU admission, in-hospital mortality and others (Pitts et al., 2014).
Accuracy and completeness of data assured

3HEALTHCARE
In order to ensure the accuracy of the obtained data, the study used the descriptive
statistics analysis which in turn was used for the evaluation of the association of the ED boarding
length and that of the consequent transfer to an ICU, increased stay in healthcare facility and
ultimately mortality. For the purpose of ensuring the completeness of the data obtained logistic
deterioration that was used to recognize the aspects which are connected with mortality within
healthcare facility and admission to ICU, on the other hand direct deterioration was used to
report the features that were connected with inpatient amplified length of stay (Mumma et al.,
2014).
Implications of the research
The results of this research implies that with the increase in the length of the ED boarding
there is also an increase in the negative impacts on the patient in terms of the outcomes like
mortality and hospital LOS. These results indicates the direct relationship that was present
between the patient outcomes and associated boarding.
May new insights increase sensitivity to others’ need?
The new insights are helpful in increasing the sensitivity to others’ need since this helps
to make the patients understand that continued boarding has several after-effects on other
patients admitted to the emergency department who were still waiting for their care process.
Hence, it was evident that the increased number of boarders were directly associated to the
negative patient oriented outcomes (Misek, DeBarba & Brill, 2015).