Do knowledge and experience have specific roles in triage decision-making?

Assessing the Awareness and Understanding of Hospital Triage Among the General Population of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background Hospital triage is a critical process in emergency departments (EDs) worldwide. The efficiency of the triage process significantly impacts the overall functioning of the ED and patient outcomes. However, the effectiveness of triage is not solely dependent on the healthcare professionals conducting it. The awareness and understanding of the triage process among the general population also play a crucial role. Methods This study aimed to assess the awareness and understanding of hospital triage among the general population of Al-Ahsa. A cross-sectional design was conducted in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, from July to September 2023. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Results This study examined the awareness, understanding, attitude, and socio-demographic factors of hospital triage among 389 participants in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Results showed that 59.4% (n=231) of participants were aware of emergency triage, with 91.8% (n=457) agreeing with patient classification based on deterioration. Expectations for waiting time varied, with 38.8% (n=151) expecting 5-10 minutes. Participants expressed positive attitudes, with 91% (n=354) believing triage improves patient care. Socio-demographic analysis revealed higher awareness among younger age groups, males, and highly educated individuals. Educational level was associated with participants' attitudes. These findings emphasize the importance of targeted awareness campaigns and improved waiting room amenities for effective hospital triage. Conclusion The study found that public awareness of emergency triage is average, with high satisfaction with the concept of patient classification based on deterioration. Periodic health education sessions regarding the importance of ER triage are recommended for healthcare visitors and staff.

The Effectiveness and Relevance of the Canadian Triage System at Times of Overcrowding in the Emergency Department of a Private Tertiary Hospital: A United Arab Emirates (UAE) Study

OBJECTIVE

A systematic and straightforward triage system is crucial for the proper and timely care of patients within the emergency department (ED). This study unfolds a detailed understanding of the impact of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) on patient care and resource allocation in a private tertiary hospital. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only article studying the impact of the CTAS in one of the private hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to achieve triage optimisation strategies. There is scope for further research in both public and private hospitals in the UAE. A triage system not only helps healthcare professionals prioritise cases conveniently but also guides patients to the most suitable area for a consultation. As a general rule, EDs follow an algorithm for the purpose of triage, and the aim of our study is to assess one such five-level triage system, CTAS, for its effectiveness and relevance during overcrowding in a UAE ED.

METHOD

Within a period of approximately three weeks, a total of 351 CTAS-triaged patients were included in a prospective observational study during peak hours (17:00-22:00) of an ED in the UAE. The CTAS app was used as the triage tool to assess relevance, in terms of patient waiting times, resource allocation, and urgency level distribution, to the Canadian scale. All patients presenting to the ED were included with no exclusion criteria. The relationship between urgency level, duration of visit, and resources used was assessed, and the department's triage results were compared with those of the CTAS app.

RESULTS

Our sample showed a female (187; 53.3%) and adult preponderance (215; 61.3%) with most of the adult patients aged between 30 and 40 (96; 44.65%). 41.5% (145) of the triage was mismatched between the department and the CTAS app with 115 (79.3%) cases of under-triaging and 30 (20.7%) cases of over-triaging. There was a statistically significant difference (p=0.004) between average waiting times across triage categories 4 and 5 with the former category patients waiting for a longer period of time. Cohen's kappa showed moderate inter-relatability (k=0.42). The average utilisation costs per triage category showed a positive correlation with the urgency level for CTAS (Pearson's r=0.59); however, the costs declined as the urgency level rose for the department.

CONCLUSIONS

The high compliance rate demonstrates that the CTAS can be applicable to institutions outside of Canada. The categorisation of patients by the CTAS and their resource allocation were more accurate than the standard triage proving its effectiveness as a triage tool. Lack of synchronisation among the triage nurses and inadequate triage training are the most plausible reasons for this comparison. The recommended "time to be seen by a physician" was achievable in our ED, and that, along with the expected relationship between CTAS and resource utilisation, can be seen as valid indicators for a quality triage system for use in the UAE.

Cognitive biases regarding utilization of emergency severity index among emergency nurses

AIM

The study aimed to measure emergency nurses' prevalence of cognitive biases when utilizing Emergency Severity Index (ESI). Moreover, the study aimed to measure the differences between cognitive biases and demographic variables.

BACKGROUND

Nurses use Emergency Severity Index (ESI) to prioritize the patients. Cognitive biases could compromise the clinical decisions of nurses in triage. Consequently, this hinders the delivery of safe and quality patient care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analytical approach invited 208 emergency nurses from four tertiary care hospitals. Institutional review board approval and permission from institutional heads were obtained. Informed consent was attained before data collection. Data was collected through a structured scenario-based questionnaire to measure cognitive biases at five levels of ESI. Descriptive and inferential statistics were obtained through v25.0 of SPSS.

RESULTS

Among the 86.6% response rate, 56.2% of nurses were male. 62.90% had nursing diplomas. Cognitive biases were present at all ESI levels one to five, in order 51%, 45%, 90%, 89%, and 91% among nurses. Premature closure 22%, tolerance to risk 12%, satisfying bias 25%, framing effect 22%, and blind obedience 34% from level one to five consecutively. Demographic variables, including males, experience between 2 and 5 years, general nursing as qualification, and without emergency severity index certification, were identified to encounter more cognitive biases when making triage decisions.

CONCLUSION

Numerous cognitive biases are considerably existing among emergency nurses when prioritizing patients. Cognitive de-biasing measures can improve triage decisions among nurses that could enhance quality care and patient safety.

Evaluating the effects of triage education on triage accuracy within the emergency department: An integrative review

INTRODUCTION

Triage accuracy can affect patient outcomes. Education to ensure nurses provide the most accurate triage scores is paramount for patient safety.The objective was to investigate whether ongoing triage education increases triage accuracy, knowledge or behaviour.

METHOD

An integrative review was conducted by searching five databases to identify studies that included triage-based education. A systematic search strategy was completed followed by analysis with critical appraisal using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, a TIDieR Checklist and thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Four thousand five hundred seventy-six studies were retrieved, with 34 studies selected for inclusion. Thirty-one studies were quantitative, and three were mixed methods. 18 out of 34 studies showed improvement in triage accuracy. Seven showed increased knowledge. Six studies showed no improvement in triage accuracy. Sixteen studies assessed triage behaviour and showed improvement post-intervention, with five showing no changes. Only three studies compared interventions. Fifty-three opportunities for changes to triage accuracy, knowledge or behaviour were found, 41 showed improvements.

CONCLUSION

Triage education interventions can improve accuracy, knowledge and behaviour, but whether improvements are sustained needs further research.

The first positive evidence that training improves triage decisions in Greece: evidence from emergency nurses at an Academic Tertiary Care Emergency Department

BACKGROUND

Triage refers to the process of patient prioritisation in the emergency department (ED). This is based on the severity of the patient's illness and is performed by emergency nurses (ENs). This has a pivotal role in ensuring patient safety and in ensuring that the ED operates smoothly - so continuous and accurate training are essential. As Emergency Nursing has been formally established in Greece since 2019, it is of the uppermost importance that all Greek ENs should be trained in the use of a standardised triage system. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of triage training of ENs in the use of the Swiss Triage System (STS) after an intervention of one week.

METHODS

The effect of triage training was studied experimentally by comparing performance before and one week after training. A sample of thirty-six ENs from the University Department of Emergency Medicine at AHEPA University Hospital took part. The role of training in triage by the STS was assessed by completing the same self-administered questionnaire before and after a 45-minute e-learning program (presentation video of STS but with simulation scenarios) which was available during the period of a week. The post-training test was taken 2 weeks later, after the training process.

RESULTS

The most promising finding was that there was a significant improvement in the number of correct answers after the training in triage (p<0.001). A significant improvement was also detected (p<0.001) in the questions that tested vigilance in providing safe health services by ENs, whereas there was no significant association between the number of correct answers and years of emergency experience or level of education, - either before or after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage training seems to successfully improve effective and efficient triage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that has demonstrated that triage training has a significant positive impact on triage performance by ENs in Greece. It is planned to support these findings by real time studies in an ED.

Factors affecting the triage decision-making ability of emergency nurses in Northern China: A multi-center descriptive survey

INTRODUCTION

The quality of triage decision-making is a prerequisite for priority treatment of critically ill patients and effective utilization of medical resources. Figuring out how to improve triage decision-making is still a topic around the global emergency department. Hence, this study aims to promote an understanding of triage priority care and clarify the elements influencing triage decision-making ability, offering reference for the future to improve the quality of triage decision-making.

METHOD

A total of 404 emergency nurses from 11 tertiary hospitals in northern China were surveyed by questionnaire, of which 371 valid questionnaires were submitted (effective rate = 91.83 %). One hospital distributed the questionnaire face-to-face, and the other ten used online form.

RESULT

Prior to occupying triage jobs, only a quarter of participants(25.30 %)were qualified. Less than half of emergency nurses (46.60 %) reported taking part in the triage training program. The emergency nurses' triage decision-making ability score was 166.50 ± 26.90(95 %CI 163.75,169.24) in northern China. Gender(P = 0.003), case discussion(P = 0.024), secondary assessment(P = 0.020)and knowledge of triage consensus(P = 0.027) are independent factors influencing triage decision-making ability.

CONCLUSION

Emergency triage practices are less implemented in northern China. The triage decision-making ability of emergency nurses in northern China is at a low level. Providing emergency nurses with diverse opportunities to develop their triage skills, finding effective triage training content, form, and frequency, strengthening implement triage consensus, and wisely managing triage nurse resources would improve triage decision-making.

Comments on "Triage Knowledge and Practice and Associated Factors Among Emergency Department Nurses"

It is to be hoped that much more attention should be drawn toward properly constructing scenarios to ensure the accuracy of the decisions made by triage nurses, because there is a history of poorly-constructed scenarios in previous research, leading to biases in their results. Consequently, scenarios are expected to meet the main criteria for a triage, such as demographic characteristics, major complaints, vital signs and accompanying symptoms, and physical examinations, to simulate what nurses might encounter in triaging a real patient. Moreover, further studies are suggested to report mistriage, including undertriage and overtriage rates.

Effect of triage training on the knowledge application and practice improvement among the practicing nurses of the emergency departments of the National Referral Hospitals, 2018; a pre-post study in Asmara, Eritrea

BACKGROUND

Triage starts at the front door of the Emergency Department (ED), and repeatedly performed by the responsible duty nurses with the aim of facilitating a timely and appropriate treatment of patients. A triage system called the Orotta Triage System was implemented in the emergency settings of the selected hospitals in 2006, with the emergency nurses trained to triage using the system. Since the introduction, a majority of nurses have been replaced by new untrained nurses. This study was conducted to assess the impact of an educational intervention on the triage nurses knowledge and performance.

METHODS

A single group pre-posttest study design was performed in the adult EDs of the National Referral Eritrean Referral Hospitals, from January to July of 2018. All staff members in the ED were involved. Data collection tools utilized were, a self-administered knowledge assessing questionnaire and a practice observation checklist. Analysis was done in SPSS (version 22) using repeated measures ANOVA. Statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean knowledge scores at Time 1(prior to the intervention), Time 2 (following the intervention) and Time 3 (three month follow up) were 6.23 (SD = 2.29), 10.55 (SD = 1.79), and 9.39(SD = 2.67) respectively. During the pre-intervention phase, only one (3%) nurse was determined to have adequate knowledge. Two days post training (immediate post-intervention), the percentage possessing adequate knowledge increased to 39% but dropped back to 19% three months later. Mean knowledge difference scores (95% CI) of immediate post and pre-intervention (Diff. = 4.32, 1 95%CI: 3.08-5.56), three months later and pre-intervention (Diff. = 3.16, 95%CI: 1.71-4.62) and immediate post and three months later (Diff. = 1.16, 95%CI: 0.12-2.20) were found to be statistically significant. The median score of appropriate triage practice at pre-intervention (Md = 6, IQR = 3) was not significantly different (p = 0.053) from that at post-intervention (Md = 8, IQR = 5).

CONCLUSION

The level of triage knowledge and appropriate application was low among the emergency nurses prior to training. The training provided an initial improvement in knowledge, but no significant improvement in triage nursing performance. To optimize ED triage performance, appropriate, timely in-service training is required to ensure new staff are educated and experienced staff have their knowledge and skills refreshed.

Analysis of the validity of the five-level TRIPED-GM paediatric triage system

OBJECTIVE

To determine the validity of the five-level TRIPED-GM pediatric triage system.

METHODS

Unicentric, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study of 485 patients aged 0-16 years in the pediatric emergency department of the HGU Gregorio Marañon. Two measures of validity were used: a direct measure calculated by the sensitivity and specificity obtained based on the number of infratriages and overtriages of the priorities given by classification nurses compared with a panel of experts and another indirect measure by the length of stay, the resources consumed and the percentage of income for each priority level.

RESULTS

10 patients were incorrectly classified, 4 (0.8%) were considered infratriages and 6 (1.2%) overtriages. The results showed a sensitivity of 99.45% (95% CI 96.5-99.97%) and a specificity of 99.01% (95% CI 96.9-99.7%) for high priorities (P2 and P3) and 98.99% (95% CI 96.8-99.6%) and 98.4% (95% CI 96.84-99.74%) respectively for low priorities (P4 and P5). The quadratic weighted Kappa index was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.98; p = 0.0000). Resource consumption showed moderate Spearman correlation coefficients as the priority level increased. The percentage of admissions and the need for observation increased as the priority level p = 0,000 increased, not requiring observation or admitting any patients with priority 5.

CONCLUSIONS

The TRIPED-GM pediatric triage system is valid for use in emergency departments with similar patients.

The Influence of Saudi National COVID-19 Preparedness Programs on Triage Decision-Making Skills of Healthcare Practitioners During the 2020 Peak of the 1st Wave of COVID-19

Background

As part of the national COVID-19 preparedness efforts in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to overcome the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency rooms' (ERs) health-care providers were required by their health institutions to receive a triage training program (TTP) as well as involving on a disaster preparedness program (DPP) and/or participation in a mock drill towards disaster response. These efforts attempted to enhance skills of ER health-care providers to make triage decisions, and, consequently, improve patient flow in ERs during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the influence of these hospitals' educational efforts on the decision-making skills of ERs' health-care providers has not yet been reported.

Purpose

To identify the effect of hospitals' COVID-19 preparedness educational efforts on triage decisions by ERs' health-care practitioners during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A one-group posttest-only design was conducted in ERs of regional hospitals in which Triage Decision-Making Inventory (TDMI) was used to collect data.

Results

About 78%, 70% and 78% of participants had taken TTP, DPP or were involved in mock drills, respectively. Skills of triage decision-makers in critical thinking and confidence have higher mean scores than cognitive and intuition skills. A positive relationship was found between TTP and participants' cognitive (p=0.01), critical thinking (p=0.03), confidence (p=0.01) and intuition (p=0.02) skills as pertained to triage decision-making. Also, a positive relationship was found between DPP and cognitive abilities (p=0.04), as well as those involved in mock drills and measures of confidence (p=0.03).

Conclusion

TTP may enhance triage decision-making abilities of health-care professionals and contribute in delivering rapid and safe care service during disasters.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist-Driven Project to Improve Emergency Department Triage Accuracy

PURPOSE/AIMS

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to examine the use of video-simulated scenarios and mobile technology to improve accuracy of emergency department (ED) nurses' triage using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI).

DESIGN

A quality improvement project with a pre/post educational intervention design consisting of a convenience sample (n = 33) of ED registered nurses (RNs) at a large tertiary hospital in the Midwest was used.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review (n = 495) was completed to obtain ESI accuracy for each triage RN. For 12 consecutive weeks, the ED RNs received different video simulations via mobile technology to determine the ESI level. After receiving their scores, the project team provided the RNs the correct ESI score with rationale via mobile technology. Post intervention, a retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate RNs' ESI accuracy.

RESULTS

Results of this ED triage educational intervention to improve the accuracy of ED nurses' ESI scores were not significant; however, this novel approach may be considered in addition to other teaching strategies to improve outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Triage nurses' ESI scoring accuracy can be inconsistent. Therefore, to ensure patients are receiving prompt and appropriate care for their acuity level, it is important to continuously provide education on ESI scoring.

An updated national survey of triage and triage related work in Sweden: a cross-sectional descriptive and comparative study

BACKGROUND

Triage and triage related work has been performed in Swedish Emergency Departments (EDs) since the mid-1990s. According to two national surveys from 2005 to 2011, triage was carried out with different triage scales and without guidelines or formal education. Furthermore, a review from 2010 questioned the scientific evidence for both triage as a method as well as the Swedish five level triage scale Medical Emergency Triage and Treatment System (METTS); nevertheless, METTS was applied in 65% of the EDs in 2011. Subsequently, METTS was renamed to Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS©). The hypothesis for this study is that the method of triage is still applied nationally and that the use of METTS/RETTS© has increased. Hence, the aim is to describe the occurrence and application of triage and triage related work at Swedish Emergency Departments, in comparison with previous national surveys.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study with a descriptive and comparative design, an electronic questionnaire was developed, based on questionnaire from previous studies. The survey was distributed to all hospital affiliated EDs from late March to the middle of July in 2019. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics, by IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26.

RESULTS

Of the 51 (75%) EDs partaking in the study, all (100%) applied triage, and 92% used the Swedish triage scale RETTS©. Even so, there was low concordance in how RETTS© was applied regarding time frames i.e., how long a patient in respective triage level could wait for assessment by a physician. Additionally, the results show a major diversion in how the EDs performed education in triage.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that triage method is nationally implemented across Swedish EDs. RETTS© is the dominating triage scale but cannot be considered as one triage scale due to the variation with regard to time frames per triage level. Further, a diversion in introduction and education in the pivotal role of triage has been shown. This can be counteracted by national guidelines in what triage scale to use and how to perform triage education.

When do caregivers ignore the veil of ignorance? An empirical study on medical triage decision-making

In principle, all patients deserve to receive optimal medical treatment equally. However, in situations in which there is scarcity of time or resources, medical treatment must be prioritized based on a triage. The conventional guidelines of medical triage mandate that treatment should be provided based solely on medical necessity regardless of any non-medical value-oriented considerations ("worst-first"). This study empirically examined the influence of value-oriented considerations on medical triage decision-making. Participants were asked to prioritize medical treatment relating to four case scenarios of an emergency situation resulting from a car collision. The cases differ by situational characteristics pertaining to the at-fault driver, which were related to culpability attribution.In three case scenarios most participants gave priority to the most severely injured individual, unless the less severely injured individual was their brother. Nevertheless, in the aftermath of a vehicle-ramming terror attack most participants prioritized the less severely injured individual ("victim-first").Our findings indicate that when caregivers are presented with concrete highly conflictual triage situations their choices may be based on value-oriented considerations related to contextual characteristics of the emergency situation. Philosophical and practical ramifications of our findings are discussed.

Validation of Dutch Obstetric Telephone Triage System: A Prospective Validation Study

Objective and Purpose

A triage system that prioritizes care according to medical urgency has a favorable effect on safety and efficiency of emergency care. The Dutch obstetric telephone triage system is comparable to physical triage systems. It consists of five urgency levels: resuscitation and life threatening (U1), emergency (U2), urgent (U3), non-urgent (U4) and self-care advice (U5). The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic and external validity of the Dutch obstetric telephone triage system in obstetric emergency care.

Patients and Methods

The validity of the Dutch obstetric telephone triage system was studied in a prospective observational study in four hospitals. Diagnostic validity of usual care was determined by comparing the assigned urgency level of the Dutch obstetric telephone triage system with a reference standard. This reference standard was obtained by face-to-face clinical assessment in hospital following telephone triage. Clinical follow-up after assessment was also recorded. For statistical analyses, urgency levels were dichotomized into high urgency (U1, U2) and intermediate urgency (U3, U4). Self-care advice (U5) could not be studied because these patients were not referred to hospital.

Results

In total, 983 cases (U1-U4) across the four hospitals were included, 625 (64%) cases were categorized as high urgency and 358 (36%) as intermediate urgency. The Dutch obstetric telephone triage system’s urgency level agreed with the reference standard in 53% (n=525; 95% CI 50–57%). According to the reference standard the Dutch obstetric telephone triage system had undertriage in 16% (n=160) and overtriage in 30% (n=298) of the cases. Sensitivity for high urgency was 76% (95% CI 72–80), specificity 49% (95% CI 44–53). Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 60% (95% CI 56–63) and 67% (95% CI 62–72), respectively. After clinical assessment, urgent care was needed in 8.7% (n=31) of the intermediate-urgency cases, none of these cases were life threatening situations.

Conclusion

DOTTS shows an acceptable diagnostic validity with room for improvement.

Strategies to Enhance Knowledge and Practical Skills of Triage amongst Nurses Working in the Emergency Departments of Rural Hospitals in South Africa

Purpose: Lack of knowledge and practical skills on triage remains a global problem, especially within rural hospitals, and very little is known about enhancing the knowledge and skills of emergency nursing staff in rural hospitals of South Africa. The objective was to describe the perceived strategies for enhancing knowledge and practices of triage among nurses working in the emergency departments (EDs) of rural hospitals in South Africa. Research methods: A descriptive qualitative research design was applied to achieve the research objective. A non-probability sampling method was applied to select 17 professional nurses from rural hospitals. An unstructured face-to-face interview method was used to collect data. Data collected were analyzed using Tesch’s method of data analysis. Results: The study findings highlighted the academic needs of nurses working in the ED of rural hospitals. Two themes emerged from this study; (1) The consistent description of the importance of triage training for emergency unit staff, and (2) The description of measures to enhance triage practices amongst emergency unit staff. Findings indicated that triage knowledge and practice remains a challenge, but with formulated strategies like continuous training by workshops, refresher courses, and offering a training module on triage, evaluation of developed guidelines and benchmarks is often enhanced. Conclusions: The study describes the strategies to enhance the conversion of knowledge and practice of triage amongst nurses working in the ED of rural hospitals. The paper argues that the knowledge and practical skills of nurses working in ED are enhanced through the provision of continuous training as workshops, triage module, evaluating the developed guidelines to implement triage, and benchmarking with other hospitals.

Implementing remote triage in large health systems: A qualitative evidence synthesis

Remote triage (RT) allows interprofessional teams (e.g., nurses and physicians) to assess patients and make clinical decisions remotely. RT use has developed widespread interest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has future potential to address the needs of a rapidly aging population, improve access to care, facilitate interprofessional team care, and ensure appropriate use of resources. However, despite rapid and increasing interest in implementation of RT, there is little research concerning practices for successful implementation. We conducted a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of practices that impact the implementation of RT for adults seeking clinical care advice. We searched MEDLINE®, EMBASE, and CINAHL from inception through July 2018. We included 32 studies in this review. Our review identified four themes impacting the implementation of RT: characteristics of staff who use RT, influence of RT on staff, considerations in selecting RT tools, and environmental and contextual factors impacting RT. The findings of our systemic review underscore the need for a careful consideration of (a) organizational and stakeholder buy-in before launch, (b) physical and psychological workplace environment, (c) staff training and ongoing support, and (d) optimal metrics to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation. Our findings indicate that preimplementation planning, as well as evaluating RT by collecting data during and after implementation, is essential to ensuring successful implementation and continued adoption of RT in a health care system.

Exploring the concept and structure of obstetric triage: a qualitative content analysis

BACKGROUND

Obstetric triage is a new idea, so the design and implementation of it requires identification of its concept and structure. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the concept and structure of the obstetric triage in Iran.

METHODS

The purposive sampling was done and it continued until reaching the theoretical saturation. Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted individually and face-to-face. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis.

RESULTS

Two themes, 8 main categories, and 16 subcategories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews and observations. The themes were the concept and structure of obstetric triage. The concept of obstetric triage consisted of three categories of nature, process, and philosophy of obstetric triage. The structure of obstetric triage included five categories of assessment criteria, emergency grading, determining the appropriate location for patient guidance, initiation of diagnostic and therapeutic measures, and timeframe for initial assessment and reassessment.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlighted that obstetric triage is a process with a dual and dynamic nature. This process involves clinical decision making to prioritize the pregnant mother and her fetus based on the severity and acuity of the disease in order to allocate medical resources and care for providing appropriate treatment at the right time and place to the right patient. The results of this study could be used for the design and implementation of the obstetric triage system.

Human- Versus Machine Learning-Based Triage Using Digitalized Patient Histories in Primary Care: Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Smartphones have made it possible for patients to digitally report symptoms before physical primary care visits. Using machine learning (ML), these data offer an opportunity to support decisions about the appropriate level of care (triage).

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the interrater reliability between human physicians and an automated ML-based triage method.

METHODS

After testing several models, a naïve Bayes triage model was created using data from digital medical histories, capable of classifying digital medical history reports as either in need of urgent physical examination or not in need of urgent physical examination. The model was tested on 300 digital medical history reports and classification was compared with the majority vote of an expert panel of 5 primary care physicians (PCPs). Reliability between raters was measured using both Cohen κ (adjusted for chance agreement) and percentage agreement (not adjusted for chance agreement).

RESULTS

Interrater reliability as measured by Cohen κ was 0.17 when comparing the majority vote of the reference group with the model. Agreement was 74% (138/186) for cases judged not in need of urgent physical examination and 42% (38/90) for cases judged to be in need of urgent physical examination. No specific features linked to the model's triage decision could be identified. Between physicians within the panel, Cohen κ was 0.2. Intrarater reliability when 1 physician retriaged 50 reports resulted in Cohen κ of 0.55.

CONCLUSIONS

Low interrater and intrarater agreement in triage decisions among PCPs limits the possibility to use human decisions as a reference for ML to automate triage in primary care.

Pre-hospital triage performance and emergency medical services nurse's field assessment in an unselected patient population attended to by the emergency medical services: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

In Sweden, the rapid emergency triage and treatment system (RETTS-A) is used in the pre-hospital setting. With RETTS-A, patients triaged to the lowest level could safely be referred to a lower level of care. The national early warning score (NEWS) has also shown promising results internationally. However, a knowledge gap in optimal triage in the pre-hospital setting persists. This study aimed to evaluate RETTS-A performance, compare RETTS-A with NEWS and NEWS 2, and evaluate the emergency medical service (EMS) nurse's field assessment with the physician's final hospital diagnosis.

METHODS

A prospective, observational study including patients (≥16 years old) transported to hospital by the Gothenburg EMS in 2016. Three comparisons were made: 1) Combined RETTS-A levels orange and red (high acuity) compared to a predefined reference emergency, 2) RETTS-A high acuity compared to NEWS and NEWS 2 score ≥ 5, and 3) Classification of pre-hospital nurse's field assessment compared to hospital physician's diagnosis. Outcomes of the time-sensitive conditions, mortality and hospitalisation were examined. The statistical tests included Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test, and several binary classification tests were determined.

RESULTS

Overall, 4465 patients were included (median age 69 years; 52% women). High acuity RETTS-A triage showed a sensitivity of 81% in prediction of the reference patient with a specificity of 64%. Sensitivity in detecting a time-sensitive condition was highest with RETTS-A (73%), compared with NEWS (37%) and NEWS 2 (35%), and specificity was highest with NEWS 2 (83%) when compared with RETTS-A (54%). The negative predictive value was higher in RETTS-A (94%) compared to NEWS (91%) and NEWS 2 (92%). Eleven per cent of the final diagnoses were classified as time-sensitive while the nurse's field assessment was appropriate in 84% of these cases.

CONCLUSIONS

In the pre-hospital triage of EMS patients, RETTS-A showed sensitivity that was twice as high as that of both NEWS and NEWS 2 in detecting time-sensitive conditions, at the expense of lower specificity. However, the proportion of correctly classified low risk triaged patients (green/yellow) was higher in RETTS-A. The nurse's field assessment of time-sensitive conditions was appropriate in the majority of cases.

The impact of emergency department triage on the treatment outcomes of cancer patients with febrile neutropenia: A retrospective review

INTRODUCTION

The emergency department (ED) is an important entry point for patients with cancer requiring acute care due to oncological emergencies. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the most common oncological emergencies and carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. There is evidence from previous studies that FN patients wait far longer in the ED than recommended by international guidelines.

PURPOSE

The aim was to examine whether individuals with cancer presenting at the ED with FN were triaged appropriately, and to explore if, and how, triage affected their treatment outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort design was employed to collect data over five years from all available ED records of adult cancer patients who presented with fever.

RESULTS

Of the 431 eligible patients, 63% (n = 272) were assigned triage scores that were detrimental to their immediate health. Findings from the multiple linear regression analyses showed that inaccurate or under triage was significantly associated with delayed times for the initial physician assessment, administration of antibiotics, and decision on admission. The absence of fever at the time of triage assessment contributed significantly to the prediction of under triage.

CONCLUSION

The allocation of patients with FN to a lower, inaccurate priority was partly responsible for the inability of those patients to meet the standard benchmarks for the initial physician assessment and the administration of antibiotics identified by the triage and febrile neutropenia guidelines. Ongoing strategies are needed to both enhance the application of the triage guidelines and institute organizational and system changes that promote timeliness and effectiveness throughout the entire ED episode of care.

Factors affecting emergency nurses' perceptions of the triage systems

Background: Emergency services use a triage system to prioritize patients according to their level of diagnosis. Triage is one of the mandated skills to be owned by an emergency unit nurse. This research aims to identify factors affecting emergency nurses’ perceptions of the triage systems.

Design and Methods: 90 nurses were chosen based on quota sampling. Data were analyzed using Chi Square test (α 0.05) and logistic regression analysis.

Results: The results show that nurses perceptions were influenced by knowledge (p = 0.017), working experience (p = 0.023), and training (p = 0.041). The factor that had the strongest influence in the formation of nurses’ perceptions was knowledge (p = 0.020 and OR = 3.19).

Conclusions: It can be concluded that knowledge, working experience and training influenced emergency nurses’ perceptions on triage systems.

Evaluation of a modified South African Triage Score as a predictor of patient disposition at a tertiary hospital in Rwanda

Background

Triage is essential for efficient and effective delivery of care in emergency centers (ECs) where numerous patients present simultaneously with varying acuity of conditions. Implementing EC triage systems provides a method of recognizing which patients may require admission and are at higher risks for poor health outcomes. Rwanda is experiencing increased demand for emergency care; however, triage has not been well-studied. The University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (UTH-K) is an urban tertiary care health center utilizing a locally modified South African Triage Score (mSATS) that classifies patients into five color categories. Our study evaluated the utility of the mSATS tool at UTH-K.

Methods

UTH-K implemented mSATS in April 2013. All patients aged 15 years or older from August 2015 to July 2016 were eligible for inclusion in the database. Variables of interest included demographic information, mSATS category, patient case type (trauma or medical), disposition from the ED and mortality.

Results

1438 cases were randomly sampled; the majority were male (61.9%) and median age was 35 years. Injuries accounted for 56.7% of the cases while medical conditions affected 43.3%. Admission likelihood significantly increased with higher triage color category for medical patients (OR: Yellow = 3.61, p < .001 to Red (with alarm) = 7.80, p < .01). Likelihood for trauma patients, however, was not significantly increased (OR: Yellow = .84, p = .75 to Red (with alarm) = 1.50, p = .65). Mortality rates increased with increasing triage category with the red with alarm category having the highest mortality (7.7%, OR 18.91).

Conclusion

The mSATS tool accurately predicted patient disposition and mortality for the overall ED population. The mSATS tool provided useful clinical guidance on the need for hospital admission for medical patients but did not accurately predict patient disposition for injured patients. Further trauma-specific triage studies are needed to improve emergency care in Rwanda.

A qualitative study of factors that influence midwives' practice in relation to low-risk women's oral intake in labour in Australia

BACKGROUND

Restriction of food and fluids during labour increases women's discomfort, anxiety and stress which are associated with obstruction of the normal process of labour. Whilst research evidence and clinical guidelines recommend that normal uncomplicated labouring women should not be limited in their oral intake during labour, some midwives continue to restrict or discourage women's oral intake. To promote best practice, it is important to understand the influencing factors which affect midwives' decision-making processes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the influences that affect midwifery practice regarding oral food and fluid intake for low-risk labouring women.

DESIGN

An interpretive descriptive approach employed 12 semi-structured interviews with registered midwives with current labour and birthing experience in Australia. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Three themes were identified: midwives' knowledge and beliefs; work environment and women's expectations of care. Midwives' practice was affected by their knowledge and values developed from professional and personal experiences of labour, their context of practice and work environment, the clinical guidelines, policies and obstetric control, and women's choice and comfort.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that midwives' decision-making in relation to women's oral nutrition during labour is multifaceted and influenced by complicated environments, models of care, and power relations between doctors and midwives, more so than clinical guidelines. It is important for midwives to be aware of factors negatively influencing their decision-making processes to enable autonomy and empowerment in the provision of evidence-based care of labouring women.

Triage in Australian emergency departments: Results of a New South Wales survey

AIM

To describe current models of triage, the preparation and education of triage nurses, and methods of auditing triage practice in New South Wales emergency departments.

BACKGROUND

Triage is a critical component of emergency department practice; affecting patient safety and access to emergency care. Within Australia, triage is an autonomous role predominantly conducted by trained emergency nurses. Patient safety and timely access to emergency care relies upon the experience, education and training of emergency triage nurses. To date, little is known about triage models of care, the preparation and education of triage nurses, and assessment of triage practice and decision accuracy.

METHOD

Descriptive, exploratory study design employing a self-reporting cross-sectional survey of clinical nurse consultants and educators in New South Wales.

RESULTS

The survey results reveal variability in models of triage, and the eligibility, preparation and education requirements of triage nurses; that appear geographically related. Auditing of triage practice was commonly undertaken retrospectively; feedback to triage nurses was infrequent. The survey found evidence of locally developed guidelines directing triage category allocation for specific conditions or symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of triage is to ensure that the level of emergency care provided is commensurate with clinical urgency. Variability in the preparation, education and evaluation of triage nurses may in and of itself, contribute to poor patient outcomes. Further, workforce size and geography may impede auditing and the provision of feedback, which are critical to improving triage practice and triage nurse performance. It is imperative that the Emergency Triage Education Kit be revised and maintained in tandem with future revisions of the Australasian Triage Scale.

Triage knowledge and skills among nurses in emergency units of Specialized Hospital in Hawassa, Ethiopia: cross sectional study

Objective

This study was aimed to assess knowledge and skills of triage and associated factors among nurses in emergency department of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 101 nurses from March 1–30, 2018. The data was coded and entered to SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics was done and Chi square test was done to show the association between independent variables and dependent variable.

Results

Among the study participants, 57.4% were female and 87% were in age group of ≤ 30 years. 51.5% had low triage knowledge scores, with the mean score being 9.54 (SD = 2.317), 76.2% perceived their overall triage skill to be at good level, with mean score 95.75 (SD = 9.562). Working experience of study participants (χ² = 15.204, p < .01), Educational level of study participant (χ² = 22.148, p < .01) and triage experience (χ² = 13.638, p < .01) were factors associated with triage knowledge. Working experience (χ² = 7.944, p < .05) and triage experience (χ² = 6.264, p < .05) were factors associated with triage skill.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-019-4062-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Potential benefits of triage for the trauma patient in a Kenyan emergency department

BACKGROUND

Improved trauma management can reduce the time between injury and medical interventions, thus decreasing morbidity and mortality. Triage at the emergency department is essential to ensure prioritization and timely assessment of injured patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate how a lack of formal triage system impacts timely intervention and mortality in a sub-Saharan referral hospital. Further, the study attempts to assess potential benefits of triage towards efficient management of trauma patients in one middle income country.

METHODS

A prospective descriptive study was conducted. Adult trauma patients admitted to the emergency department during an 8-month period at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, were included. Mode of arrival and vital parameters were registered. Variables included in the analysis were Injury Severity Score, time before physician's assessment, length of hospital stay, and mortality. The patients were retrospectively categorized according to the Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS) from patient records.

RESULTS

A total of 571 patients were analyzed, with a mean Injury Severity Score of 12.2 (SD 7.7) with a mean length of stay of 11.6 (SD 18.3) days. The mortality rate was 1.8%. The results obtained in this study illustrate that trauma patients admitted to the emergency department at Eldoret are not assessed in a timely fashion, and the time frame recommendations postulated by RETTS are not adhered to. Assessment of patients according to the triage algorithm used revealed a significantly higher average Injury Severity Score in the red category than in the other color categories.

CONCLUSION

The results from this study clearly illustrate a lack of correct prioritization of patients in relation to the need for timely assessment. This is further demonstrated by the retrospective triage classification of patients, which identified patients with high ISS as in urgent need of care. Since no significant difference in to time to assessment regardless of injury severity was observed, the need for a well-functioning triage system is apparent.

Triage education in rural remote settings: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Triage is a complex nursing task to prioritise patient care, based on acuity. Triage decisions can affect patient safety and must employ critical thinking. Graduate registered nurses are expected to triage in rural facilities, which is in contrast to current guidelines. The purpose of this review was; to discover how effective education support programs were in developing clinical decision-making skills for graduates at triage; and to determine what is known about triage education support programs for graduate or novice registered nurses undertaking triage in rural and remote settings.

METHOD

A scoping review was undertaken to identify and analyse primary research articles following PRISMA guidelines, sourced from four electronic databases.

RESULTS

6158 retrieved articles were found, after duplicate removal and screening against inclusion/exclusion criteria; fourteen articles were included. Themes included 'variability of triage accuracy and assessment'; 'education qualifications and experience'; and 'training and supervision'.

CONCLUSION

This review demonstrates significant gaps in the literature reporting on this topic area, particularly in the rural context. Common recommendations include standardised triage education strategies, and strategies that account for differences in resourcing levels. Further research is required to attempt to link education strategies in rural contexts to acceptable triage outcomes like triage accuracy.

Comparison of scenario based triage education by lecture and role playing on knowledge and practice of nursing students

INTRODUCTION

Quick and accurate triage of patients in the emergency department is a key factor for successful management of the emergency situations and ensuring the quality of care. Moreover, triage skills education is one of the important aspects of preparedness of nurses for different emergency situations. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of educating emergency severity index (ESI) triage using lecture and role-playing on the knowledge and practice of nursing students.

METHODS

This experimental study was conducted in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz, Iran, in 2016. In this study, 56 nursing students were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups. Triage scenarios were taught and presented in two ways by using lecture or role-playing method. One month later, the post-test was taken. Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing the knowledge and practice of ESI and were analysed using SPSS (version 21).

RESULTS

The mean knowledge and practice scores in both groups improved significantly (p < 0.05). The post-test score showed a significant difference between the two groups, and the mean score was higher in the role-playing group compared with that of the lecture group (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION

The results showed the effectiveness of both educational methods on students' learning. However, the role-playing method was more effective than the lecture method and is recommended for triage education. In addition, according to the importance of triage, developing the theoretical and practical education courses for nursing students is recommended.

Factors Important to Top Clinical Performance in Emergency Medicine Residency: Results of an Ideation Survey and Delphi Panel

OBJECTIVES

We explore attributes, traits, background, skills, and behavioral factors important to top clinical performance in emergency medicine (EM) residency.

METHODS

We used a two-step process-an ideation survey with the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors and a modified Delphi technique-to identify: 1) factors important to top performance, 2) preresidency factors that predict it, and 3) the best ways to measure it. In the Delphi, six expert educators in emergency care assessed the presence of the factors from the ideation survey results in their top clinical performers. Consensus on important factors that were exemplified in >60% of top performers were retained in three Delphi rounds as well as predictors and measures of top performance.

RESULTS

The ideation survey generated 81 responses with ideas for each factor. These were combined into 89 separate factors in seven categories: attributes, personal traits, emergency department (ED)-specific skills and behaviors, general skill set, background, preresidency predictors, and ways to measure top performance. After three Delphi rounds, the panel achieved consensus on 20 factors important to top clinical performance. This included two attributes, seven traits, one general skill set, and 10 ED-specific skills and behaviors. Interview performance was considered the sole important preresidency predictor and clinical competency committee results the sole important measure of top performance.

CONCLUSION

Our expert panel identified 20 factors important to top clinical performance in EM residency. Future work is needed to further explore how individuals learn and develop these factors.

Triage skill and associated factors among emergency nurses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2017: a cross-sectional study

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess levels of triage skill and associated factors among emergency nurses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2017.

Results

Above half of the participants (52.9%) had a moderate level of triage skill. A strong positive relationship was found between nurses’ level of triage knowledge and skill (r = .68, p .01). Knowledge about triage, educational level and training experience had a significant relationship with triage skill with (B = 1.09, CI (1.41, 1.77), p = .002), (B = − 19.96, CI (− 30.208, − 9.715), p = .001), (B = .55, CI .16, .94), p = .006) respectively. This study revealed that most triage nurses had a moderate level of skills. Therefore, the ministry of health and hospitals should provide training and education to improve triage skill.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3769-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Effect of Start Triage Education on Knowledge and Practice of Emergency Medical Technicians in Disasters

Introduction: Pre-hospital triage is one of the most fundamental concepts in emergency management. Limited human resource changes triage to an inevitable solution in the management of disasters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of education of simple triage and rapid treatment (START) in the knowledge and practice of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) employees of Eastern Azerbaijan.

Methods: This is a pre-and post-intervention study conducted on two hundred and five (205) of employees of EMS sector, in the disaster and emergency management center of Eastern Azerbaijan Province, 2015. The utilized tool is a questionnaire of the knowledge and practice of individuals regarding START triage. The questionnaire was filled by the participants pre- and post-education; thereafter the data were analyzed using SPSS 13 software.

Results: The total score of the participants increased from 22.02 (4.49) to 28.54 (3.47). Moreover, the score of sections related to knowledge of the triage was a necessity and the mean score of the section related to the practice increased from 11.47 (2.15) to 13.63 (1.38), and 10.73 (3.57) to 14.93 (2.78), respectively, which were statistically significant.

Conclusion: In this study, it was found that holding the educational classes of pre-hospital triage before the disasters is effective in improving the knowledge and practice of employees such as EMS technicians and this resulted to decreased error in performing this process as well as reduced overload in hospitals.

Understanding clinical and non-clinical decisions under uncertainty: a scenario-based survey

BACKGROUND

Prospect theory suggests that when faced with an uncertain outcome, people display loss aversion by preferring to risk a greater loss rather than incurring certain, lesser cost. Providing probability information improves decision making towards the economically optimal choice in these situations. Clinicians frequently make decisions when the outcome is uncertain, and loss aversion may influence choices. This study explores the extent to which prospect theory, loss aversion, and probability information in a non-clinical domain explains clinical decision making under uncertainty.

METHODS

Four hundred sixty two participants (n = 117 non-medical undergraduates, n = 113 medical students, n = 117 resident trainees, and n = 115 medical/surgical faculty) completed a three-part online task. First, participants completed an iced-road salting task using temperature forecasts with or without explicit probability information. Second, participants chose between less or more risk-averse ("defensive medicine") decisions in standardized scenarios. Last, participants chose between recommending therapy with certain outcomes or risking additional years gained or lost.

RESULTS

In the road salting task, the mean expected value for decisions made by clinicians was better than for non-clinicians(-$1,022 vs -$1,061; <0.001). Probability information improved decision making for all participants, but non-clinicians improved more (mean improvement of $64 versus $33; p = 0.027). Mean defensive decisions decreased across training level (medical students 2.1 ± 0.9, residents 1.6 ± 0.8, faculty1.6 ± 1.1; p-trend < 0.001) and prospect-theory-concordant decisions increased (25.4%, 33.9%, and 40.7%;p-trend = 0.016). There was no relationship identified between road salting choices with defensive medicine and prospect-theory-concordant decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

All participants made more economically-rational decisions when provided explicit probability information in a non-clinical domain. However, choices in the non-clinical domain were not related to prospect-theory concordant decision making and risk aversion tendencies in the clinical domain. Recognizing this discordance may be important when applying prospect theory to interventions aimed at improving clinical care.

The effect of nurses' preparedness and nurse practitioner status on triage call management in primary care: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the ESTEEM trial

Background

Nurse-led telephone triage is increasingly used to manage demand for general practitioner consultations in UK general practice. Previous studies are equivocal about the relationship between clinical experience and the call outcomes of nurse triage. Most research is limited to investigating nurse telephone triage in out-of-hours settings.

Objective

To investigate whether the professional characteristics of primary care nurses undertaking computer decision supported software telephone triage are related to call disposition.

Design

Questionnaire survey of nurses delivering the nurse intervention arm of the ESTEEM trial, to capture role type (practice nurse or nurse practitioner), prescriber status, number of years’ nursing experience, graduate status, previous experience of triage, and perceived preparedness for triage.

Our main outcome was the proportion of triaged patients recommended for follow-up within the practice (call disposition), including all contact types (face-to-face, telephone or home visit), by a general practitioner or nurse.

Settings

15 general practices and 7012 patients receiving the nurse triage intervention in four regions of the UK.

Participants

45 nurse practitioners and practice nurse trained in the use of clinical decision support software.

Methods

We investigated the associations between nursing characteristics and triage call disposition for patient ‘same-day’ appointment requests in general practice using multivariable logistic regression modelling.

Results

Valid responses from 35 nurses (78%) from 14 practices: 31/35 (89%) had ≥10 years’ experience with 24/35 (69%) having ≥20 years. Most patient contacts (3842/4605; 86%) were recommended for follow-up within the practice. Nurse practitioners were less likely to recommend patients for follow-up odds ratio 0.19, 95% confidence interval 0.07; 0.49 than practice nurses. Nurses who reported that their previous experience had prepared them less well for triage were more likely to recommend patients for follow-up (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.18–5.55).

Conclusion

Nurse characteristics were associated with disposition of triage calls to within practice follow-up. Nurse practitioners or those who reported feeling ‘more prepared’ for the role were more likely to manage the call definitively. Practices considering nurse triage should ensure that nurses transitioning into new roles feel adequately prepared. While standardised training is necessary, it may not be sufficient to ensure successful implementation.

Improved and sustained triage skills in firemen after a short training intervention

Background

A previous study has shown no measurable improvement in triage accuracy among physicians attending the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course and suggests a curriculum revision regarding triage. Other studies have indicated that cooperative learning helps students acquire knowledge.

Objective

The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of trauma cards in triage training for firemen.

Methods

Eighty-six firemen were randomly assigned into two groups: the trauma card group and the direct instruction group. Both groups received the same 30-min PowerPoint lecture on how to perform triage according to the Sort Assess Lifesaving interventions Treatment and transport (SALT) Mass Casualty Triage Algorithm. In the trauma card group, the participants were divided into groups of 3–5 and instructed to triage 10 trauma victims according to the descriptions on the trauma cards. In the direct instruction group, written forms about the same 10 victims were used and discussed as a continuation of the PowerPoint lecture. Total training time was 60 min for both groups. A test was distributed before and after the educational intervention to measure the individual triage skills. The same test was applied again 6 months later.

Results

There was a significant improvement in triage skills directly after the intervention and this was sustained 6 months later. No significant difference in triage skills was seen between the trauma card group and the direct instruction group. Previous experience of multi-casualty incidents, years in service, level of education or age did not have any measurable effects on triage accuracy.

Conclusions

One hour of triage training with the SALT Mass Casualty Triage Algorithm was enough to significantly improve triage accuracy in both groups of firemen with sustained skills 6 months later. Further studies on the first assessment on scene versus patient outcome are necessary to provide evidence that this training can improve casualty outcome. The efficacy and validity of trauma cards for disaster management training need to be tested in future studies.

Nurses' accuracy and self-perceived ability using the Emergency Severity Index triage tool: a cross-sectional study in four Swiss hospitals

Background

The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is an English language emergency department patient triage tool. After translation, it has been adapted for use to triage patients in growing numbers of emergency departments in non-English-speaking countries. Few reports of the proficiency of triage nurses to score an ESI exist. We sought to determine accuracy, inter-rater reliability, and subjective confidence of triage nurses at four hospitals to determine an ESI from standardized ESI scenarios.

Methods

Triage nurses assigned an ESI score to each of 30 standard ESI (ESI Implementation Handbook Version 4) translated teaching case scenarios. Accuracy and Inter-rater reliability (Krippendorff’s alpha) of the ESI scoring was measured. Nurses’ subjective confidence applying the ESI algorithm was obtained by a Likert scale.

Results

Sixty-nine nurses from four EDs participated in the study. They scored 59.6 % of the case scenarios correctly. Inter-rater reliability was 0.78 (Krippendorff’s alpha). Most (54/69, 78 %) felt confident in their ability to apply the ESI.

Conclusions

Low accuracy of ESI score assignment was observed when nurses scored an ESI for 30 standard written case scenarios, translated into nurses’ native language, despite a good inter-rater reliability and high nurse confidence in their ability to apply the ESI. Although feasible, using standard written case scenarios to determine ESI triage scoring effectiveness may not be the optimum means to rate nurses’ triage skills.

A method for reviewing the accuracy and reliability of a five-level triage process (canadian triage and acuity scale) in a community emergency department setting: building the crowding measurement infrastructure

Objectives. Triage data are widely used to evaluate patient flow, disease severity, and emergency department (ED) workload, factors used in ED crowding evaluation and management. We defined an indicator-based methodology that can be easily used to review the accuracy of Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) performance. Methods. A trained nurse reviewer (NR) retrospectively triaged two separate month's ED charts relative to a set of clinical indicators based on CTAS Chief Complaints. Interobserver reliability and accuracy were compared using Kappa and comparative statistics. Results. There were 2838 patients in Trial 1 and 3091 in Trial 2. The rate of inconsistent triage was 14% and 16% (Kappa 0.596 and 0.604). Clinical Indicators “pain scale, chest pain, musculoskeletal injury, respiratory illness, and headache” captured 68% and 62% of visits. Conclusions. We have demonstrated a system to measure the levels of process accuracy and reliability for triage over time. We identified five key clinical indicators which captured over 60% of visits. A simple method for quality review uses a small set of indicators, capturing a majority of cases. Performance consistency and data collection using indicators may be important areas to direct training efforts.