boarding
Extended stay of psychiatric patients in emergency departments while awaiting appropriate inpatient placement.
Full Definition
The prolonged housing of psychiatric patients in emergency department settings when no appropriate inpatient psychiatric beds are available for transfer. Boarding occurs when patients require inpatient psychiatric care but must remain in emergency departments for hours or days due to bed shortages, insurance issues, or lack of appropriate facilities. This situation creates challenges for both patient care and emergency department operations, as emergency departments are not designed for extended psychiatric treatment and monitoring.
Usage
Usage note: Sometimes called 'psychiatric boarding' for clarity when used outside psychiatric contexts.
In Context
- "The patient experienced 18 hours of boarding in the emergency department due to lack of available psychiatric beds." — Quality improvement report
- "Boarding times increased during flu season when medical beds were converted to accommodate overflow patients." — Administrative report