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Spatial Organization of an Emergency Department – How to Reduce Overcrowding in Emergency Departments Cover

Spatial Organization of an Emergency Department – How to Reduce Overcrowding in Emergency Departments

By: Michał TOMANEK  
Open Access
|Jul 2025

Abstract

The Emergency Department (ED) is one of the most critical units in any healthcare facility, designed to handle urgent and life-threatening medical conditions. Efficient spatial organization is vital in ensuring rapid, high-quality care, as well as smooth patient flow, safety, and staff efficiency. The layout and design of the ED should accommodate the unpredictable nature of emergencies while also allowing for the simultaneous treatment of multiple patients with varying levels of acuity. The main problem of modern emergency departments is their spatial organization and operational principles, which are not adapted to the most critical issue: overcrowding. Overcrowding in emergency departments (EDs) is an increasing challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. The growing number of patients, limited staffing resources, and infrastructural constraints often lead to prolonged waiting times, potentially compromising patient comfort and safety. One of the critical factors influencing ED efficiency is spatial organization, which can significantly ease or complicate staff workflows and impact the quality of medical services provided.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2025-0016 | Journal eISSN: 2720-6947 | Journal ISSN: 1899-0142
Language: English
Page range: 11 - 26
Submitted on: Dec 27, 2024
Accepted on: May 14, 2025
Published on: Jul 1, 2025
Published by: Silesian University of Technology
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Michał TOMANEK, published by Silesian University of Technology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.