An initiative to reduce psychiatric boarding in a Cape Town emergency department
South African Journal of Psychiatry
| Field | Value | |
| Title | An initiative to reduce psychiatric boarding in a Cape Town emergency department | |
| Creator | Hendrikse, Clint A. Hodkinson, Peter van Hoving, Daniël J. | |
| Description | Background: Psychiatric boarding in Emergency Departments (ED) is a global challenge which results in long ED length of stays (LOS) with significant consequences on patient care and staff safety.Aim: This study investigated the impact of an initiative to reduce psychiatric boarding on LOS and readmission rate, as well as explored the relationship between boarding times and LOS.Setting: This study was conducted at Mitchells Plain Hospital, a large district-level hospital in Cape Town.Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data for 24 months, which included a 9-month period prior to the initiative and 16 months thereafter. Data were collected retrospectively from official electronic patient registries. The initiative comprised of inpatient hallway boarding as a full-capacity protocol with the accompanying capacitation of psychiatric wards to accommodate the additional burden.Results: The initiative was associated with a decrease of 95% (p 0.001) in boarding time, 13% (p 0.001) in ward LOS and 25% (p 0.001) in hospital LOS. Ward LOS were found to be independent of ED boarding times. The readmission rate increased from 12% to 18% post intervention.Conclusion: The initiative resulted in a sustainable improvement in boarding times and LOSs. The observational nature of this study precludes concrete conclusions and further investigations into psychiatric inpatient hallway boarding are recommended.Contribution: Inpatient hallway boarding could be a feasible option to reduce the risk. Psychiatric boarding times in the ED are independent of ward LOS, rendering it devoid from any value from a lean and economic perspective. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-11-14 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v29i0.2075 | |
| Source | South African Journal of Psychiatry; Vol 29 (2023); 8 pages 2078-6786 1608-9685 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2075/3131
https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2075/3132
https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2075/3133
https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2075/3134
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