Hosted by Wyss Core Faculty David R. Walt, PhD, Diagnostics Grand Rounds brings clinicians with unmet needs to the Wyss Institute. The goal of these sessions is to inform technology developers about important clinical problems that can help them direct their technology development efforts. Presenters are asked to identify diagnostic needs that will have an impact on the quality of care they deliver.
In 2021, The U.S. population was approximately 331.89 million, and there were 140 million Emergency Department (ED) visits: equating to a rate of 43 visits per 100 people. Recent projections suggest that by 2030, there will be between 155 million to 165 million ED visits annually.
Patients live longer, are more complex, are more likely to be admitted to the hospital, and stay longer. These challenges are coupled with inpatient capacity decreasing by 27% over the past decade and less access to primary care physicians.
The ED is the front door of medicine, but over 90% of EDs in the US report that they are at the breaking point due to crowding and clinician burnout.
Crowding has driven many clinicians and operations management experts to trial various methods to reduce crowding and, in turn, improve safety, quality, and satisfaction. But most innovations are “duct tape” solutions. Each day is a warzone for patients and healthcare workers.
In this discussion, Dr. Goralnick will aim to immerse you in the ED to understand existing safety risks and challenges in triage, diagnosis, therapies, and disposition.