Hospital-based emergency departments (ED), given their high cost and major role in allocating care resources,are at the center of the debate regarding how to maximize value in delivering healthcare in the United States. In order to operate effectively and create value, EDs must be flexible: the ability to rapidly adapt to the highly variable needs of patients. The concept of flexibility has not been well described in the ED literature. We introduce the concept,outline its potential benefits, and provide some illustrative examples to facilitate incorporating flexibility into ED management. We draw upon operations research and organizational theory to identify and describe five forms of flexibility: physical, human resource, volume, behavioral, and conceptual. Each form of flexibility may be individually or in combination with others useful in improving ED performance and enhancing value. We also offer suggestions for measuring operational flexibility in the ED. A better understanding of operational flexibility and its application to the ED may help us move away from reactive approaches of managing variable demand to a more systematic approach. We also address the tension between cost and flexibility and outline how “partial flexibility” may potentially help resolve some challenges. Applying concepts of flexibility from other disciplines may help clinicians and administrators think differently about their workflow and provide new insights into managing issues of cost, flow, and quality in the ED.
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