Hsia R., Friedman A., Niedzwiecki M. JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 18, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.0878
This study uses data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to examine whether a triage determination of nonurgent status in the emergency department ruled out the possibility of serious pathologic conditions, as compared with visits deemed as urgent.
The goal of triage is to prioritize patients who need to be seen most urgently; it is essential for providing the highest quality of care to the sickest patients. We sought to determine whether a triage determination of nonurgent status in the emergency department (ED) effectively ruled out the possibility of serious pathologic conditions, as indicated by visits resulting in diagnostic screening, procedures, hospitalization, or death, and compared these findings with visits deemed as urgent from triage.
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5.7% of "NON-urgent" ED visits resulted in admission/transfer
vs 14.9% of "urgent" visits
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