Implementation of an early attention strategy to reduce emergency room
overcrowding in an academic institution in Colombia, a pilot study

Implementation of an early attention strategy to reduce emergency room
overcrowding in an academic institution in Colombia, a pilot study

Patient satisfaction, Emergency department, Overcrowding, Crowding interventions, Crowding solutions

Abstract
Overcrowding is a worldwide problem, and long waiting times are associated with increased morbidity and even
mortality of patients regardless of triage classification. Although there are many tools published in the literature

that contribute to the reduction of overcrowding, for the Colombian population there are not many tools evalu-
ated to reduce the length of stay of patients in the emergency department. This is a retrospective analytical study

that compared whether there was a difference in patient definition time and ED length of stay between a group
attended under an early care protocol (PAT) versus the usual protocol. Of the total of 969 patients included it

was found that the group attended under the PAT protocol had a shorter definition time than the usual proto-
col, also the Emergency department length of stay (EDLOS) was significantly lower in the PAT group compared

to the usual protocol. The implementation of the PAT protocol performed by emergency physicians allows a faster
contact with the patient by the physician, and leads to a significant reduction of EDLOS, contributing to the reduction
of overcrowding in the emergency department.
Keywords Patient satisfaction, Emergency department, Overcrowding, Crowding interventions, Crowding solutions

German Devia Jaramillo1* , Nathalia Esmeral Zuluaga2

, Viviana Andrea Velandia Avellaneda2
,

Salvador Menendez Ramirez3 , Fernando Jose Pimienta Neira4

, Angie Paola Lopez Contador5 and

Juan Pablo Vargas Gallo3

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00700-7

2024

Peri Irawan

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