The Effect of A ‘Covid Tent’ On Emergency Department Efficiency and Patient Satisfaction: A Single Site Retrospective Study

Background:Overcrowding in Emergency Departments is associated with poor patient outcomes and low patient satisfaction; overcrowding has been exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. One intervention used in both the H1N1 pandemic and the current Covid-19 pandemic is the deployment of temporary structures such as surge tents. Data on the effectiveness of such interventions is currently lacking. Methods:In this retrospective study, we assess ED length of stay (LOS), percent of patients leaving without being seen, and 72-hour return rate in the time period during tent operation with equivalent time periods before and after tent use. Differences in outcomes were modeled and tested using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEEs) methodology and controlled for emergency severity index (ESI). Results:Deployment of a Covid tent was associated with reduced LOS (227.5 vs. 214.5 min, ESI-adjusted p = 0.02). Additionally, we observed a significantly reduced rate of patients leaving without being seen (0.8% vs. 0.2%, ESI-adjusted p < 0.001) without any increase in the 72-hour return rate (4.2% vs 4.2%, ESI-adjusted p = 0.98) during the period of Covid tent operations. Conclusion:This data suggests that the deployment of temporary structures such as tents is an effective means of decompressing EDs in the setting of the Covid-19 pandemic.