[Workload in emergency departments : A Problem for personnel and patients?]

Abstract

Apart from operating theaters, intensive care units and diagnostic services, the central emergency department is one of the areas of any hospital with a high workload, which is very susceptible to risk. The following aspects of routine daily work can lead to a great strain on the personnel working in the central emergency department: the need for quick, targeted decisions, especially for patients with life-threatening disorders, a high number of patients with insufficient available resources, dissatisfaction of patients with low treatment priority and longer waiting times and delayed inpatient admissions with long stays. Interruptions in the individual work process during activities are not uncommon but represent additional disruptive factors for employees and can lead to treatment errors. Furthermore, a workload that is permanently perceived as too high leads to psychological and physical disturbances for the team members. Suitable structural, organizational and personnel prerequisites as well as solution strategies for the central emergency department are necessary to avoid corresponding treatment errors and also as a duty of care for employees.

Keywords: Burn-out; Medical errors; Patient safety; Risk reduction; Work interruptions.