1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov July 19, 2018Emergency Department Boarding of Behavioral Health Patients This In Focus outlines emergency department (ED) boarding of behavioral health (BH) patients. Behavioral health refers to patients with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders. Boarding refers
2、 to the holding of inpatients in an ED after an admission or transfer decision has been made. ED boarding, as it contributes to ED crowding, has been a long-standing area of concern for Congress, payors, and health care providers (see CRS Report R43812, Hospital-Based Emergency Departments: Backgrou
3、nd and Policy Considerations). This In Focus highlights areas for research and discusses policy options Congress may consider to reduce BH patient boarding. In general, patient boarding can last from hours to multiple days. Data show that BH patient boarding times are longer than non-BH patient boar
4、ding times. For example, research examining one U.S. hospital and published in the journal Emergency Medicine International found that the average length of ED stay was more than three times longer for BH patients compared with other patient types (Nicks and Manthey 2012). BH boarding typically occu
