Policy Options for Emergency Department Diversion

Emergency and urgent care systems in high-income countries face major challenges related to overcrowding, long wait times, and rising demand. Internationally, and across Canada, healthcare systems have experimented with various policies to promote access to health services for unplanned acute conditions while reducing avoidable visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs). This rapid review prepared for the Institute of Health Economics by the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies presents an overview of selected ED diversion initiatives in seven jurisdictions – Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, England, and Ontario (Canada).