Lazio Region implements new emergency room management plan

The Lazio Region has approved a new regional plan for managing hospital admission flows to address emergency room overcrowding and improve patient pathways. The plan aims to ensure waiting times are consistent with clinical priority and includes measures such as initiating visits within 45 minutes for 80% of orange-coded patients and establishing a 24-hour multi-professional hospital operations center to manage bed availability.

The plan sets target average stays of up to 480 minutes from initial visit to discharge or admission decision, and up to 720 minutes for intensive care and psychiatry admissions. It also seeks to combat the issue of ambulances being blocked while waiting to offload patients.

The Rome Provincial Order of Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists has expressed strong concern regarding these targets. President Antonio Magi noted that the projected timelines, which include stays of up to 1,000 minutes for some admissions, do not provide reassurance. He emphasized that long waits in overcrowded environments can impact the safety, dignity, and clinical outcomes of patients, particularly the elderly and those with chronic conditions. The Order called for an urgent strengthening of local specialist medicine to reduce inappropriate emergency room visits.