Understanding and addressing the US hospital bed shortage: Build, Baby, Build

Understanding and addressing the US hospital bed shortage: Build, Baby, Build
JAMA Network Open; Alexander T. Janke, MD, MHS, MSc; Arjun K. Venkatesh, MD, MBA, MHS; 2/25
In the study by Leuchter et al, they provide simple yet provocative projections for the future of hospital care. They project that national hospital occupancy will exceed 85% by 2032, a critical threshold where basic hospital operations can become dysfunctional and even unsafe. Leuchter et al begin to quantify the story already felt at the bedside in hospitals across the nation—namely, a trajectory toward inadequate supply of hospital care for the anticipated demand of the coming decade. US residents are older and more medically complex than ever. Technologically sophisticated surgical interventions and medical therapies have transformed the long-term survival rates for serious conditions, such as end-stage kidney disease, heart failure, and chronic obstructive lung disease. The US needs greater hospital bed capacity, particularly for critical care and complex care services.