Table 3.
Number of hospitals in each strata that implemented specific protocols and processes to decrease crowding
| Intervention | High | Low | Improver |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED-based interventions | |||
| Bedside registration | 1 | ||
| Electronic tracking and dashboard | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Protocols initiated in triage | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Point of care lab testing | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Provider zones | 1 | 2 | |
| Fast track area | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Changing staffing patterns or increasing staffing | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Observation unit | 1 | ||
| New ED Leadership | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Provider in triage | 3 | 2 | |
| Bridging orders for admission | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Expansion space | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Separate psychiatric space | 1 | 1 | |
| Hospital-based interventions* | |||
| Inpatient bed tracking center with bed czar | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Early discharge times | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| When full, ambulance diversion and outside hospital transfers delayed | 1 | 1 | |
| Bed ahead/pull to full | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Electronic handoff reports | 1 | 1 | |
| Nursing pools to help when ED crowded | 1 | 1 | |
| Boarding patients to inpatient hallways | 1 | 1 | |
| Moving patients to affiliated hospitals | 1 | 1 | |
| New hospital leadership | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Hospital wide morning huddle | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| LEAN consultants | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Transport/Housekeeping alerts to move and turnover beds | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Prioritizing ED studies (CT/MRI/lab) | 1 | 1 | |
*
none of the participating hospitals reported interventions to smooth scheduling of surgeries or other elective procedures