Emergency department staffing to improve patient management.

The emergency department records at the St. Louis County Hospital were reviewed for 1973, 1974, and 1975. The distribution of patients was considered by the day of the week and hour of the day. For the three year period, the daily average showed that one third of patients had been seen by 2:36 pm and two thirds by 8:14 pm. An analysis of peak patient load showed the first peak was around 11:00 am and the second, a higher peak, around 7:00 pm. By day of the week, more patients were seen on Tuesday and Saturday. Using data from such an analysis, emergency department personnel can devise an appropriate staffing pattern for their own situation.