Access block and prolonged length of stay in the emergency department are associated with a higher patient mortality rate

Access block, known as exit block or boarding, is defi ned as a situation in which patients who are admitted or planned for admission remain in the emergency department （ED） as they are unable to be transferred to an inpatient unit within a reasonable time frame （no longer than 8 hours）.[1,2]Access block often occurs due to insufficient hospital capacity and is a major issue in emergency medicine.[3]