Effect of a Multi-Diagnosis Observation Unit on Emergency Department Length of Stay and Inpatient Admission Rate at Two Canadian Hospitals.

Background: Observation units (OUs) have been shown to reduce emergency department (ED) lengths of stay (LOS) and admissions. Most published studies have been on OUs managing single complaints.

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether an OU reduces ED LOS and hospital admission rates for adults with a variety of presenting complaints.