A Literature Review: Psychiatric Boarding

In October 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy released a literature review exploring several key questions regarding boarding of psychiatric patients in the emergency department (ED). In addition to defining 'boarding', questions addressed include: 1) Is psychiatric boarding a problem?; 2) What are the reasons for boarding psychiatric patients?; and 3) What kind of care is received while patients are boarded? The report also looks at how the decisions of key players including ED staff, law enforcement, insurance companies and . . .