Use or Abuse? A Qualitative Study of Emergency Physicians' Views on Use of Observation Stays at Three Hospitals in the United States and England

Study objective Accumulating evidence has shown increasing use of observation stays for patients presenting to emergency departments and requiring diagnostic evaluation or time-limited treatment plans, but critics suggest that this expansion arises from hospitals’ concerns to maximize revenue and shifts costs to patients. Perspectives of physicians making decisions to admit, observe, or discharge have been absent from the debate. We examine the...