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Healthcare Management vocabulary · Hospital Operations

Emergency department

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

nounCore term

In healthcare management, emergency department means: The hospital department that receives and treats patients who arrive with a sudden illness or injury, at any hour and without an appointment.

In Turkish: acil servis, acil

How it is used

Shortened to ED. British English also says A&E (accident and emergency), and American English often says 'the ER' (emergency room). For managers, crowding, waiting times and delays in handing over ambulance patients are daily concerns.

Example sentences

  1. The emergency department saw a record 410 patients on Monday.

  2. Patients waiting for a bed are kept in the emergency department, which leaves less space for new arrivals.

Common collocations

  • emergency department attendance
  • emergency department crowding
  • go to the emergency department
  • emergency department staff
  • triageThe quick assessment of patients when they arrive, to decide how urgently each one needs care and where they should be treated.
  • patient flowThe movement of patients through a hospital or health system, from arrival and assessment to treatment, transfer and discharge, ideally without unnecessary delays.
  • admissionThe process of formally accepting a patient into hospital so that they can stay for treatment, or one single case of this.
  • waiting timeThe time a patient has to wait for care, for example from arrival to being seen in the emergency department, or from referral to surgery.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Hospital Operations

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.