Patients seek care in the Emergency Department (ED) when they are experiencing any health emergency, not only physical but also behavioral disease manifestations.  Psychiatric patients are among the top contributors to crowding in the ED.  Often these patients are the focus of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Today, with the media highlighting ED crowding, these patients are gaining attention in the field, yet little is said on how to mitigate the issue and improve patient flow.

This issue features a Case Study on psychiatric boarding in Massachusetts EDs where Stephen K. Epstein, MD, MPP, Mark D. Pearlmutter, MD, FACEP and Alan Woodward, MD, FACEP are in the process of quantifying the problem and preforming innovative research that may have implications on the future management and flow of psychiatric patients. However, none of this can be accomplished without a change in how practitioners view psychiatric patients. Beverly G. Hart, RN PhD PMHNP-BC, an adult psychiatric nurse practitioner, shares her expertise on the Best Practices she has encountered throughout her career.

The Urgent Matters Team is also excited to announce our recent partnership with several influential multidisciplinary organizations and celebrate our first collaborative issue! We have many exciting changes coming your way that we hope will improve your access to our resources and enable you to continue to improve the field of Emergency Care.