Ask ECRI: Implications of Converting Emergency Department to a Locked Unit

​​​A member recently asked for recommendations and requirements for an organization to consider before converting an emergency department (ED) to a locked unit to prevent patient elopement.

First, organizations can consider ways to address patient elopement that do not necessarily involve locking down the ED. Nevertheless, controlled access to the ED is an important security protocol worth consideration. The organization can also consider strategies to mitigate violence in the ED, an area at particular risk for violence. These considerations may help inform an organization's decision...