US universities are warning that hospitals across the country will face a severe bed shortage in the next seven years. The shortage is driven by a combination of factors, including the closure of hospitals bought by private investors for profit and a reduction in healthcare workers.
According to Dr. Richard Leuchter, a hospitalist at UCLA, the current mean boarding time for patients admitted through the emergency room is between 24-35 hours. However, during peak times, patients can wait up to 100 hours nationwide.
The researchers predict that hospital bed occupancy will increase by another 10 points, leading to a shortage of beds. Dr. Leuchter blames this crisis on the lack of healthcare workers and the shift towards private ownership of hospitals.
To address this issue, Dr. Leuchter suggests increasing the pipeline of new healthcare professionals and addressing existing burnout among staff. He also recommends changing reimbursement schemes and compensation for providers.
Meanwhile, UCLA is testing a new model called the Next Day Clinic, which sends patients to outpatient care instead of hospital admissions. This approach has already avoided hundreds of hospitalizations per year at other institutions.
The shortage of hospital beds poses significant risks to public health, and it’s essential that policymakers take action to address this issue before it’s too late.
Source: https://abc7.com/post/americas-looming-hospital-bed-crisis-how-shortages-could-put-patients-risk/15934239