Public health
-
Crowded hospital emergency departments (EDs) can undermine the ability of a region's safety net to provide safe, timely care. However, data to measure hospital capacity community-wide is generally unavailable. This study aimed to assess hospital crowding, capacity and patient flow in an urban community using the newly developed hospital capacity assessment tool (HCAT). ⋯ The HCAT is a promising tool for evaluating community-wide emergency care. Findings from the HCAT allowed for the introduction of new ED performance data into the local decision-making process.