Conflict in emergency medicine: A systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundThe emergency department (ED) is a demanding and time‐pressured environment where doctors must navigate numerous team interactions. Conflicts between health care professionals frequently arise in these settings. We aim to synthesize the individual‐, team‐, and systemic‐level factors that contribute to conflict between clinicians within the ED and explore strategies and opportunities for future research.MethodsOnline databases PubMed and Web of Science were systematically searched for relevant peer‐reviewed journal articles in English with keywords relating to “conflict” and “emergency department,” yielding a total of 29 articles.ResultsNarrative analysis showed that conflict often occurred during referrals or admissions from ED to inpatient or admitting units. Individual‐level contributors to conflict include a lack of trust in ED workup and staff inexperience. Team‐level contributors include perceptions of bias between groups, patient complexity, communication errors, and difference in practice. Systems‐level contributors include high workload/time pressures, ambiguities around patient responsibility, power imbalances, and workplace culture. Among identified solutions to mitigate conflict are better communication training, standardizing admission guidelines, and improving interdepartmental relationships.ConclusionsIn emergency medicine, conflict is common and occurs at multiple levels, reflecting the complex interface of tasks and relationships within ED.