Comparing Accuracy of Manual Triage with Electronic Triage System

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Triage is the process of sorting patients in the emergency department (ED) based on the severity of their clinical presentation. There are several protocols to categorize patients and provide order in which and where a patient will be seen in the ED. It is a useful tool for organization and managing resources in the ED. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to compare the accuracy and applicability of the electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) to the manual CTAS system. DESIGN: It is a descriptive, analytical prospective study that was conducted in King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: During the study period, 389 patients were triaged with both manual and electronic CTAS triaging systems. RESULTS: Our research shows a low strength of agreement between manual and electronic triaging systems. The scores differ significantly that we cannot interpret the accuracy between the two systems. Additionally, our study shows that the predominant triaging score was CTAS 3 in both electronic and manual triaging systems and this could reflect the higher acuity of patient presentations to KAMC ED. KAMC is a specialized tertiary care center where patients frequently require a higher level of care. CONCLUSION: Our research demonstrates the potentials of improving the triage process in the ED. Furthermore, this research highlighted the higher acuity of patients presented to KAMC ED and we believe this can give insight and further guidance for staffing, type, and the number of beds needed for our ED. However, further studies are needed to compare the electronic versus the manual triaging systems regarding the time required for completing the triage, impact of bed occupancy at the time of triage, as well as the number of staff available.