Emergency room overcrowding is a problem hospitals have struggled to solve. In a 2010 survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians, 91 percent of hospitals said their ERs were overcrowded at least one day a week, and Kentucky hospitals are no exception.

In the ER, crowded conditions can have life-threatening implications and lead to outcomes of medical malpractice. Doctors, nurses and technicians feel pressured to keep patients moving. They can unduly rush examinations, misdiagnose problems, fail to detect important signs of serious illness, and make medical errors when ordering care and prescribing medication.

Experts cite the health care crisis and changes in the way patients approach medical care as key causes of overcrowding. Decades ago, hospital visits were scheduled by doctors and surgeons on weekdays, and patients arrived at a measured pace, according to schedule. In 2012, most patients arrive unannounced at the ER, expecting care at all hours of the day and night. Many facilities are reviewing their care models to adapt to patient behavior.

Hospitals are trying a variety of solutions. One hospital hired an ER greeter to direct the flow of patient traffic and utilized nurse practitioners to speed up the admission process. Another facility restructured its admission practices to eliminate some of the lines patients have to wait in, shortening the delay before treatment begins.

The desire to make money motivates many hospital administrators to solve the overcrowding problem. When waits are long, patients leave without receiving care, which means they -- and their insurers -- won't receive a bill. Risk management and avoidance of malpractice litigation are additional motivators. ER doctors, nurses, and staff are less likely to make careless errors that harm patients when they have adequate time to do their jobs.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, "Engineering a cure for hospital inefficiencies" Mark Taylor, Dec. 30, 2011