STAT+: Can AI fix health care? In the chaos of emergency rooms, the technology comes up short

In the chaos of emergency rooms, AI technology falls short, according to a STAT+ report featuring Brigham and Women's Hospital emergency physician Christopher Baugh. The hospital's ER, opened in 2022, was already overcrowded by 2025, with 152 patients in the waiting room and only 61 acute care rooms, illustrating the challenges AI aims to address but cannot solve.

BOSTON — The building that houses the Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency department opened in 2022. But by 2025, it was already too small. One early September evening, the emergency room had 59 patients — 152, if you counted everyone in the waiting room. “In terms of rooms for acute care, we have 61,” said Christopher Baugh, an emergency physician at the hospital. “You can’t see 152 patients in 61 rooms.” Patient beds lined every possible area, with a full circle of beds surrounding the staff workstations in the center of the bay. Figurines of Star Wars characters R2D2 and C3PO peered over beds 80H and 81H — where “H” stands for “hallway.” To some, this may look like a scene from another country, Baugh said. But to him, it’s just Thursday. This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — and get additional analysis of the technologies disrupting health care — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in /login/ View All Plans https://www.statnews.com/stat-plus/