A ‘barbaric’ problem in American hospitals is only getting bigger
The author describes her husband's experience with 'emergency department boarding', where patients wait for a hospital bed in the emergency department for extended periods, often receiving subpar care. The author recounts her husband's 36-hour wait on a hard stretcher and subsequent care in an 'ED overflow area' with inadequate personnel.
A personal account highlights the issue of 'emergency department boarding' in US hospitals. The author's husband, Andrej, had esophageal cancer and required hospital admission multiple times. During one visit, he waited over 36 hours on a stretcher in the emergency department before being moved to a bed. The 'ED overflow area' he was eventually transferred to lacked adequate personnel, resulting in subpar care. Patients in this area underwent intimate procedures in gender-neutral rooms, and staff were overworked. The author notes that this experience worsened her husband's mental state. The issue is described as a 'barbaric' problem in American hospitals that is getting bigger.
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