SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Impact of Boarding in Hospital Floor Hallway on Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Trials

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This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether boarding admitted patients in inpatient hallways, instead of keeping them in the ED or placing them in standard inpatient rooms, affects patient preference, hospital throughput, and safety outcomes.<br /><br />The authors searched Embase, PubMed, and CENTRAL and identified 468 studies. After removing duplicates and screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 11 studies were included in the final analysis. Most studies were conducted in the United States, with others from Israel, Canada, and Norway. Study designs included retrospective studies, prospective studies, surveys, and one mixed design.<br /><br />The most frequently studied outcome was patient preference. Across six studies, 42% to 85% of respondents preferred inpatient hallway boarding over ED hallway boarding. In the meta-analysis, 61% of patients favored hallway boarding, and this result was statistically significant. However, there was substantial heterogeneity among studies.<br /><br />Operationally, inpatient hallway boarding appeared to improve ED flow. One comparison showed shorter ED length of stay for patients boarded in inpatient hallways than for those placed in standard rooms. Reported times were 9.3 hours versus 13.8 hours.<br /><br />Regarding safety and quality, no study found increased mortality. Some studies suggested possible improvements, including lower ICU transfer rates and fewer hospital-acquired infections. One study reported slightly higher 30-day readmission rates, indicating that safety findings were not fully consistent.<br /><br />Overall, the review suggests that inpatient hallway boarding may improve ED throughput and is often preferred by patients compared with ED hallway boarding. However, the evidence base is limited, and current research is not strong enough to draw definitive conclusions about safety and overall quality outcomes.

Asset Subtitle

Jean-Sebastien Rachoin

Meta Tag

Author List Akiki Karl, Badr Samer, Jean-Sebastien Rachoin, Snehal Gandhi, Tcheroyan Raya

Category Research

Concept Hallway Boarding

Concept Emergency Department Boarding

Concept Patient Preference

Concept Emergency Department Length of Stay

Concept Systematic Review

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Cooper University Healthcare

Presenting Author Jean-Sebastien Rachoin

Track Outcomes Research

Keywords

systematic review

meta-analysis

inpatient hallway boarding

emergency department

patient preference

hospital throughput

ED length of stay

patient safety

hospital-acquired infections

readmission rates

Hallway Boarding

Emergency Department Boarding

Patient Preference

Emergency Department Length of Stay

Systematic Review