Emergency Department crowding is exacerbated by the increase in the number of patients with mental disorders, substance abuse problems or both, who present with acute problems. Besides the mental health conditions these patients often have other medical problems including diabetes, liver disease, and various infections.
An increasing number of psychiatric patients are being admitted to Emergency Department’s (ED) in nearly every hospital in the U. S. It’s an ongoing surge, and is heavily taxing ED’s and community hospital resources. How to deal with this growing influx of psych patients in the ED when you have limited resources?
In healthcare today, it is a reality that staff members who provide care in our health systems will encounter patients who have a psychiatric diagnosis. Hospitals across the nation are being challenged by rising volumes of behavioral health patients being treated in their facilities, and this is exacerbated by the increase in the numbers of patients with mental disorders, substance abuse problems, or both.
