BOOK A DEMO
Call Now 888-506-5061
HealthFlex
×
  • Login
  • Solutions
    • On-Call Scheduling Software
    • Broadcast
    • Phone Directories
    • Forum
    • Text Messaging
    • Call Tracking
  • Benefits
  • About
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
  • Contact Us

Emergency Department Call Schedules in the COVID Era

Emergency Department Call Schedules in the COVID Era
Share this:

The COVID pandemic has been a roller coaster ride for emergency departments around the U.S. – and likely around the world. They have moved from virtually empty emergency department bays, to packed-to-the-rafters boarding areas for patients awaiting transfer to hospital and ICU rooms, and back again. These days, the atmosphere of any given emergency department is generally a reflection of the pandemic’s ever-shifting curve in their area. This can turn emergency department call schedules upside down and leave schedulers scrambling to contact physicians.

A Dip in ED Visits

On June 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on the impact of COVID-19 on emergency department visits. Using data collected by the National Sydromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) between January 1, 2019, and May 30, 2020, the report outlined that emergency department visits took a nosedive early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing late March to late April 2019 (weeks 14 through 17) with the same period in 2020, NSSP determined that visits to emergency departments plummeted 42 percent, from 2.1 million per week in 2019 to 1.2 million per week in 2020. While visits ultimately rose, during May 24-30, the last week covered in the study, the volume was still 26 percent below the same week in 2019. During that same four-week period, emergency department visits for infectious disease, respiratory disease, and pneumonia – hallmarks of COVID – increased fourfold.

The CDC’s conclusion was that public concerns about emergency department utilization need to be urgently addressed. It also recommended the use of virtual triage and physician visits. Those responsible for scheduling physical emergency department call schedules, video and telemedicine visits, and triage help lines were likely doing somersaults to keep schedules straight and physicians and staff members informed.

Overwhelmed Emergency Departments

While footsteps could be heard echoing in the hallways of some virtually empty emergency departments, others reflected a cacophony of medical equipment intermingled with the sound of tragic suffering. In Montgomery, Alabama, for example, hospitals with ICU departments over capacity kept the overflow of patients in the emergency department to be cared for by ED doctors and nurses.

In late March, an emergency department physician in Brooklyn called the ED a “medical war zone” where COVID patients lined the department’s hallways. Even the pediatric emergency department became a COVID isolation area.

Crafting Flexible Emergency Department Call Schedules

COVID-19 is requiring every person in the country – and the world – to be flexible. The pandemic is requiring even more flexibility from those on the front lines. The front lines are staffed not only by physicians and nurses, but also by those responsible for emergency department call schedules. And schedulers need the tools that automation provides.

Traditionally, emergency department call schedules are tracked by hand or on a spreadsheet. Each time a change is made, a new iteration of the schedule must be created and distributed. That results in physicians consulting outdated schedules and call centers calling the wrong on-call physicians. In contrast, emergency department call scheduling software promises real-time updates and schedules that are accessible from any desktop or mobile device.

In the era of COVID-19, physicians and nurses are experiencing untold stress, anxiety, and trauma. One small but significant improvement to their professional lives is a schedule they can depend upon. Emergency department call scheduling software delivers just that.

MDsyncNET is a leader in emergency department scheduling software. To learn more about how MDsyncNET can deliver seamless, real-time schedules to your hospital staff, call 888-506-5061.

Share this:

Recent Posts

  • Physician Call Scheduling is a Critical Tool in Plugging Patient Leakage
  • 4 Symptoms of Your Failing Emergency Department Scheduling System
  • Emergency Department Call Schedules in the COVID Era
  • COVID-19: Nimble Healthcare Provider Scheduling During the Pandemic
  • MDsyncNET Releases Version 4.0 of Its Signature Physician Scheduling Software
  • The Positive Effects of Blockchain in the Healthcare Industry
  • Physician Burnout: Preventing the Tipping Point
  • Top 5 Reasons to Use Cloud-Based Physician On-Call Schedules
  • 6 Ways that Scheduling Spreadsheets are Costing You Money
  • CMS Dings 2,583 Hospitals in Sweeping Penalties for Hospital Readmissions
  • 5 Steps to Championing Physician Scheduling Software
  • 3 Signs that Your Hospital Needs Physician Scheduling Software
  • Burnt Out at Work? 3 Strategies for Coping with Workplace Stress
  • Infographic: 8 Steps to Solving Physician Burnout
  • Overcome Anesthesia Scheduling Challenges to Maximize Efficiency
  • Physician Scheduling Software: Why You Should Take the Leap
  • Leverage Physician Communication Technology to Close Emergency Department Care Gaps
  • Physician Contract Negotiations: Use Call Tracking to Maximize Your Position
  • Calling All Physician On-Call Schedules: Why Automation is Key
  • Right-Size Your Hospital Physician Scheduling Software
  • Think Herding Cats is Hard? Physician Practice Managers Make it Look Easy
  • Relieve Emergency Department Crowding by Improving Throughput
  • Texas Health Resources Extends Adoption of MDsyncNET to 13 Hospitals
  • Resident Scheduling: The Seeds of Physician Burnout?
  • Finding the “Right Fit” Healthcare Communications Software

Book a FREE
MDsyncNET Demo

CLICK HERE

Benefits

MDsyncNET has the tools to improve communication, save money and maximize labor efficiency.
View benefits by department...

Physician Communications and On-Call Scheduling

888-506-5061

membership@mdsyncnet.com

Latest Posts

  • Beware of Free On-Call Scheduling Software Jul 6

    At a time when hospitals must count every penny, the...

  • Hospital-Physician Communication: Solutions to Four Scenarios Jun 25

    Communication between hospital administrators and physicians is critical. When both...

  • MDsyncNET Streamlines Provider Scheduling and Communications Jun 11

    Every organization worth its weight has a strategic plan, along...

Testimonials

  • Janice Benggio, Project Manager at Broward Health Jul 14

    “As a veteran medical staff services professional, I know that...

  • Kathy James, Manager Call Access Department May 20

    “Brad is very responsive to each request I have ever...

  • Barbara Hughes, CME Coordinator at Maui Memorial Medical Center May 15

    “I have worked with Brad since 2013 when we first...

Copyright ©2018 MDSYNCNET