Triaging the triage: reducing waiting time to triage in the emergency department at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India

Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ
Akshay KumarAshok Deorari

Abstract

Prolonged wait times prior to triage outside the emergency department (ED) were a major problem at our institution, compromising patient safety. Patients often waited for hours outside the ED in hot weather leading to exhaustion and clinical deterioration. The aim was to decrease the median waiting time to triage from 50 min outside ED for patients to <30 min over a 4-month period. A quality improvement (QI) team was formed. Data on waiting time to triage were collected between 12 pm and 1 pm. Data were collected by hospital attendants and recorded manually. T1 was noted as a time of arrival outside the ED, and T2 was noted as the time of first medical contact. The QI team used plan-do-study-act cycles to test solutions. Change ideas to address these gaps were tested during May and June 2018. Change ideas were focused on improving the knowledge and skills of staff posted in triage and reducing turnover of triage staff. Data were analysed using run chart rules. Within 6 weeks, the waiting time to triage reduced to <30 min (median, 12 min; IQR, 11 min) and this improvement was sustained for the next 8 weeks despite an increase in patient load. The authors demonstrated that people new to QI could use improvement methods to address...Continue Reading

References

Apr 10, 1999·Intensive & Critical Care Nursing : the Official Journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses·A GranbergD Lundberg
Mar 29, 2002·Annals of Emergency Medicine·Robert W Derlet
Apr 22, 2006·Bulletin of the World Health Organization·Elizabeth MolyneuxAnn Robertson
Nov 15, 2008·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·Steven L BernsteinUNKNOWN Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Department Crowding Task Force
Jan 14, 2011·BMJ Quality & Safety·Rocco J PerlaSandy K Murray
Oct 20, 2015·Bulletin of the World Health Organization·Ziad ObermeyerUNKNOWN Acute Care Development Consortium
Jan 1, 2016·BMJ Quality & Safety·E EtchellsK G Shojania
Oct 1, 2012·WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health·Patravee Soisangwan
Jun 6, 2018·International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being·Leon HoffmanJeremy Snyder
Nov 21, 2018·African Journal of Emergency Medicine : Revue Africaine De La Médecine D'urgence·Rehab AbdelwahabHareya Gebremedhin Teka

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 1, 2021·Sensors·Fahd AlhaidariDima Alalharith
Aug 5, 2021·BMJ Open Quality·Charu MalhotraNitesh Joshi

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Revista de investigación clínica; organo del Hospital de Enfermedades de la Nutrición
Georgina Mayela Núñez-RochaMaria Eugenia Garza-Elizondo
The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
Annie Lintzenich AndrewsJames R Roberts
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved