The impact of non-urgent patients in emergency departments' operations

Abstract

Purpose

Globally, the presence of non-urgent patients in emergency departments (EDs) is considered one of the main reasons for creating excessive waiting times and overcrowding in units. This paper aims to understand the impact of non-urgent patients in EDs' operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on qualitative case studies conducted within two Brazilian EDs, and uses interviews and observations to access the data.

Findings

From a thematic analysis, three key themes emerged: characteristics of non-urgent demands in EDs, negative aspects of non-urgent patients in EDs, and the impact of the healthcare system model on EDs. These themes bring to light the impact that non-urgent patients have in EDs' operations, and provide theoretical and practical implications.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of this work is bound by the understanding of the non-urgent demands in EDs. Therefore, a benchmarking approach (investigating state-of-the-art practices to avoid such impact) was not applied but was suggested for future research instead.

Practical implications

The research provides significant contributions to practitioners and policymakers, aiding future discussions to improve healthcare coverage and performance.

Social implications

The research provides significant contributions for managers and policymakers, aiding future discussions to improve healthcare. For instance, the use of well-known techniques (e.g. lean, six sigma) are discussed and suggested to enhance healthcare capacity and performance. Furthermore, the policymakers are called upon to evaluate the healthcare access and provide regulations that involve innovative approaches to widen healthcare access.

Originality/value

Based upon empirical data, this research extends the discussions related to non-urgent patient in EDs and is not limited merely to descriptive analysis, but by providing practical propositions and discussions related to the impact of these patients' presence in EDs' operations. Finally, the research provides a range of suggestions for future research related to the EDs' operational performance.

Citation

Leite, H. (2021), "The impact of non-urgent patients in emergency departments' operations", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 38 No. 4, pp. 932-954. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-01-2020-0016