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Abstract

This is an investigation of the impact of an emergency room triage by a medical specialist. The study encompassed patients who came to the medical section of the emergency room of a large university hospital during a two-week study period and a control period of the same length. The result showed that 36% of the patients could be sent home after the triage, thereby reducing the number of chemical tests and ECG examinations significantly (p<0.001). In addition, the patient's average treatment period was shortened by a mean of 63 min. No effect of the triage on hospital use of out-patient visits to the hospital during a one year follow-up period was noted. The triage procedure was safe for, and accepted by the patients, as was demonstrated by follow-ups involving investigation of the death register and personal interviews. The study shows that triage by a specialist is an effective method for reducing hospital service utilization and shorcening patient treatment time.

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Emergency Room Triage by a Medical Specialist

Abstract

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References