Evolution of the ED

Alleviating crowding and minimizing length of stay continue to be major issues in the Emergency Department. However, when intake and flow in the ED are examined, it is clear that the issue is multi-faceted; it will take a combination of improving proximities, changing the care paradigm, and operational changes to improve the conditions There have been numerous studies related to operational performance of the ED and the design of the room itself, however, few delve into the issue of the relationship of staff to patient from a design point of view. This study examines ED design from the point of view of staff delivery of care, using several case studies.
This article originally appeared in The Academy Journal, published by the AIA Academy of Architecture for Healthcare (15th edition, 2012).