Emergency Department Triage Of Patients Research Articles

Is near-infrared spectroscopy a promising predictor for early intracranial hemorrhage diagnosis in the Emergency Department?

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious medical condition that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Early detection and treatment are essential for improving the outcome in patients with ICH. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique that has been used to detect changes in brain tissue oxygenation and blood flow in various conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive potential of NIRS for early diagnosis of ICH in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) triage with headache. A total of 378 patients were included in the study. According to the final diagnosis of the patients, 4 groups were formed: migraine, tension-cluster headache, intracranial hemorrhage and intracranial mass, and control group. Cerebral NIRS values "rSO2" were measured at the first professional medical contact with the patient. The right and left rSO2 (RrSO2, LrSO2) were significantly lower and the rSO2 difference was significantly higher in the intracranial hemorrhage group compared to all other patient groups (P<0.001). The cut-off values determined in the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis were RrSO2 ≤67, LrSO2 ≤67, and ΔrSO2 ≥9. This study found that a difference of more than 9 in cerebral right-left NIRS values can be a non-invasive, easy-to-administer, rapid, and reliable diagnostic test for early detection of intracranial bleeding. NIRS holds promise as an objective method in ED triage for patients with intracranial hemorrhage. However, further research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and limitations of this method.

Use of the pleth variability index in children with obstructive respiratory disease

IntroductionThe phenomenon of pulsus paradoxus (PP) develops at varying rates in relation to the severity of the disease in obstructive respiratory tract disease. The Pleth Variability Index (PVI) is the measurement value of perfusion index changes that occur with ventilation, which are determined during at least one respiratory cycle. Therefore, noninvasive measurement of PVI can help in the measurement of PP. The current study aims to determine the role of PVI measurements before and after bronchodilator therapy during admission to the hospital in children with obstructive respiratory tract disease. MethodsAge, gender, Pulmonary Index Score (PIS), and PVI data of patients aged 2–18 years who applied to the pediatric emergency department with signs of obstructive respiratory tract disease were recorded in triage. The PVI and PIS scores of the patients, who were divided into three groups according to their clinical severity scores, were recorded before and after bronchodilator treatment, and they were compared to the PVI values according to the disposition results. ResultsA total of 133 patients were included in this prospective, single-center study. The PVI values before and after treatment were significantly higher in patients with severe disease compared to the mild and moderate groups (p < 0.001). Post-treatment PVI values were significantly lower than pre-treatment values in all clinical severity groups (p < 0.001). While a total of 95 (71.43%) patients were discharged from the emergency department, 31 (23.31%) patients were admitted to the relevant department, and seven (5.26%) patients were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. The PVI values before and after treatment were significantly higher in the hospitalized group compared to the group discharged from the emergency department (p < 0.001). The areas under the ROCs were 0.940, 0.865, and 0.843 for the PVI measurements in patients with severe disease, moderate disease, and hospitalization (p< 0.001). ConclusionsAutomated PVI measurement can be used as a noninvasive, rapid, and objective tool in the emergency department triage of patients admitted to the pediatric emergency department with signs of asthma attack or reactive respiratory tract disease.

Machine learning-based models to support decision-making in emergency department triage for patients with suspected cardiovascular disease

BackgroundAccurate differentiation and prioritization in emergency department (ED) triage is important to identify high-risk patients and to efficiently allocate of finite resources. Using data available from patients with suspected cardiovascular disease presenting at ED triage, this study aimed to train and compare the performance of four common machine learning models to assist in decision making of triage levels. MethodsThis cross-sectional study in the second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University was conducted from August 2015 to December 2018 inclusive. Demographic information, vital signs, blood glucose, and other available triage scores were collected. Four machine learning models – multinomial logistic regression (multinomial LR), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF) and gradient-boosted decision tree (GBDT) – were compared. For each model, 80 % of the data set was used for training and 20 % was used to test the models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy and macro- F1 were calculated for each model. ResultsIn 17,661 patients presenting with suspected cardiovascular disease, the distribution of triage of level 1, level 2, level 3 and level 4 were 1.3 %, 18.6 %, 76.5 %, and 3.6 % respectively. The AUCs were: XGBoost (0.937), GBDT (0.921), RF (0.919) and multinomial LR (0.908). Based on feature importance generated by XGBoost, blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and age were the most significant variables for making decisions at triage. ConclusionFour machine learning models had good discriminative ability of triage. XGBoost demonstrated a slight advantage over other models. These models could be used for differential triage of low-risk patients and high-risk patients as a strategy to improve efficiency and allocation of finite resources.

Using a novel rapid viral test to improve triage of emergency department patients with acute respiratory illness during flu season

BackgroundAcute respiratory illnesses (ARI) are mostly viral in etiology and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Point of care PCR (POC-PCR) is a promising new technology for rapid virus identification but utility in the Emergency Department (ED) is not yet defined. ObjectivesPrimarily, to investigate the value of POC-PCR in rapidly identifying RSV and influenza in the setting of ED triage. Additionally, to assess whether rapid knowledge of accurate test results would improve patient management by preventing nosocomial transmission and optimizing the prescription of antimicrobials for ARIs. Study DesignA prospective cohort study of consecutive ED patients with ARI symptoms during peak flu season was conducted. Patient nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and tested using a POC-PCR device; physicians and patients were blinded to results. Virus positive and negative groups were compared by ED patient room placement and antimicrobial therapy ordered. Specificity and sensitivity were calculated using laboratory-PCR as the gold standard. ResultsOf 119 participants, 52.9% were POC-PCR positive - Influenza A (42.9%), RSV (41.3%), influenza B (15.9%). Nearly 70% of virus positive patients were placed rooms shared with non-ARI patients. Antibiotics were prescribed for 27.3% of virus positive patients, and 77.8% of oseltamivir-eligible patients did not receive therapy. POC-PCR was 100% sensitive (95% CI, 80.5–100.0%) and 95.2% specific (95% CI, 76.2–99.9%). ConclusionsRapid POC-PCR for influenza and RSV in ED triage has excellent sensitivity and specificity and the potential to improve social distancing practices through better triage and increase appropriate prescription of antimicrobials.

Decreasing troponin turnaround time in the emergency department using the central laboratory: A process improvement study

ObjectivesTo implement collaborative process improvement measures to reduce emergency department (ED) troponin turnaround time (TAT) to less than 60min using central laboratory. Design and methodsThis was an observational, retrospective data study. A multidisciplinary team from the ED and laboratory identified opportunities and developed a new workflow model. Process changes were implemented in ED patient triage, staffing, lab collection and processing. Data collected included TAT of door-to-order, order-to-collect, collect-to-received, received-to-result, door-to-result, ED length of stay, and hemolysis rate before (January–August, 2011) and after (September 2011–June 2013) process improvement. ResultsAfter process improvement and implementation of the new workflow model, decreased median TAT (in min) was seen in door-to-order (54 [IQR43] vs. 11 [IQR20]), order-to-collect (15 [IQR 23] vs. 10 [IQR12]), collect-to-received (6 [IQR8] vs. 5 [IQR5]), received-to-result (30 [IQR12] vs. 24 [IQR11]), and overall door-to-result (117 [IQR60] vs. 60 [IQR40]). A troponin TAT of <60min was realized beginning in May 2012 (59 [IQR39]). Hemolysis rates decreased (14.63±0.74 vs. 3.36±1.99, p<0.0001), as did ED length of stay (5.87±2.73h vs. 5.15±2.34h, p<0.0001). Conclusion Troponin TAT of <60min using a central laboratory was achieved with collaboration between the ED and the laboratory; additional findings include a decreased ED length of stay.

Incidence of Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Adults Following Drug Overdose

Drug overdose is a leading cause of cardiac arrest and is currently the second leading cause of overall injury-related fatality in the United States. Despite these statistics, the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events (ACVEs) in emergency department (ED) patients following acute drug overdose is unknown. With this study, we address the 2010 American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care update calling for research to characterize the incidence of in-hospital ACVE following drug overdose. This was a prospective cohort study at two tertiary care hospitals over 12 months. Consecutive adult ED patients with acute drug overdose were prospectively followed to hospital discharge. The main outcome was occurrence of in-hospital ACVE, defined as the occurrence of one or more of the following: myocardial injury, shock, ventricular dysrhythmia, and cardiac arrest. There were 459 ED patients with suspected drug overdose, of whom 274 acute drug overdose qualified and were included for analysis (mean [± SE] age=40.3 [± 1.0] years; 63% male). Hospital course was complicated by ACVE in 16 patients (some had more than one): 12 myocardial injury, three shock, two dysrhythmia, and three cardiac arrest. The incidence of ACVE was 5.8% overall (95% confidence interval [CI]=3.6% to 9.3%) and 10.7% (95% CI=6.6% to 16.9%) among inpatient admissions, with all-cause mortality at 0.7% (95% CI=0.2% to 2.6%). Based on this study of adult patients with acute drug overdose, ACVE may occur in up to 9.3% overall and up to 16.9% of hospital admissions. Implications for the evaluation and triage of ED patients with acute drug overdose require further study with regard to optimizing interventions to prevent adverse events.

Early triage of emergency department patients with acute coronary syndrome: Contribution of 64-slice computed tomography angiography

Multislice computed tomography coronary angiography (MSCT-CA) is feasible in the emergency department (ED) for ruling out obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). To investigate a diagnostic strategy using MSCT-CA for the early triage of patients presenting to the ED with acute chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to the medium-term incidence of clinical events. We conducted a single-centre, prospective, observational cohort study in 123 patients with low-risk to intermediate-risk acute chest pain suggestive of ACS. MSCT-CA was performed using dual-source 64-slice computed tomography with retrospective electrocardiographic gating. Patients without coronary artery lesions were discharged from the ED. The incidences of death, myocardial infarction and myocardial revascularization were collected during a mid-term follow-up. According to MSCT-CA, 93 patients (75.6%) had no CAD or coronary artery stenosis less or equal to 50% and 28 patients (22.8%) had stenosis more or equal to 50%. Invasive coronary angiography was performed in 29 patients (23.6%). MSCT-CA accurately identified ten patients (8.13%) with obstructive CAD requiring myocardial revascularization; all had a low TIMI score (0-2) and eight had a low GRACE score. The mean estimated effective dose of MSCT-CA was 16.3±6.4 mSv. Median follow-up was 15 months. No patient (95% CI 0-3.0%) had major adverse cardiovascular events during follow-up. MSCT-CA appears to be a useful initial triage tool in the ED. When the MSCT-CA result is negative, it allows safe early discharge because of its high negative predictive value. In a significant number of cases of low-risk ACS, MSCT-CA detects severe coronary lesions and allows further dedicated diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. Reduction of radiation exposure would help acceptance in clinical practice.

Clinician Personality and the Evaluation of Higher-Risk Patient Symptoms

: Acute myocardial infarction, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are among the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in primary care, and there is little information regarding physician decision making in this area. : We measured clinician risk tolerance and stress from uncertainty among 193 primary care clinicians and determined their association with management of patients presenting with chest pain (n = 700), breast lumps (n = 630), or rectal bleeding (n = 470). We used the 6-item Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI) and the 13-item Stress from Uncertainty Scale (SUS). Extended evaluation was defined as performance of electrocardiogram, cardiac stress testing, or emergency department triage for patients with chest pain; mammography, ultrasound, or surgical referral for patients with breast lumps; and colonoscopy or gastroenterology referral for patients with rectal bleeding. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to determine the association between survey scores and performance of extended evaluation. : The response rate was 79% for the JPI survey and 73% for the SUS survey. The mean JPI score was 8.9 (SD, 4.5) and the mean SUS score was 32.6 (SD, 10.4). Extended evaluation occurred for 60% of patients with chest pain, 93% of patients with breast lumps, and 63% of patients with rectal bleeding. Scores in JPI and SUS were not associated with rates of extended evaluation. : Primary care clinician risk tolerance and stress from uncertainty were not associated with evaluation decisions. Future research is needed to improve the consistency of evaluations to improve ambulatory patient safety.

Temporal changes in emergency department triage of patients with acute myocardial infarction and the effect on outcomes

All patients who present to an emergency department (ED) are triaged. The ED triage score may determine when patients are seen by a physician. Half of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were given a low priority score in Ontario in 2000/2001. We assessed the appropriateness of ED triage and its association with quality indicators and outcomes in a more recent AMI cohort and compared this with previous findings. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of a population-based cohort of patients with AMI admitted to 96 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, in 2004/2005. Outcome measures included rate of low-priority ED triage (score of 3, 4, or 5), compared with an earlier cohort (fiscal year 2000) at the same sites, and the adjusted effect of low-priority ED triage on door-to-electrocardiogram, door-to-needle, and door-to-balloon time; hospital length of stay (LOS); and mortality. Among 6,605 patients with AMI, low-priority triage was less frequent than in the earlier cohort, at 33.3% versus 50.3%. In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it was 25.9%, versus 43.8% previously. Between cohorts, the greatest improvement in triage occurred in patients with chest pain, in those seen at higher AMI volume EDs, and in ambulatory patients; patients seen at low AMI volume EDs, those with diabetes, and the elderly showed the least improvement. Being assigned a low-priority triage score was associated with an adjusted increase in median door-to-electrocardiogram and door-to-needle time of 12.2 (P < .001) and 20.7 minutes (P < .001), respectively, longer than in the earlier cohort (4.4 and 15.1 minutes). It was associated with hospital LOS >75th percentile (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, P < .001), and higher 90-day (OR 1.50, P = .02) and 1-year mortality (OR 1.37, P = .05) in patients with STEMI. Emergency department triage of patients with AMI improved substantially over 5 years. For the third of patients with AMI who continue to receive a low priority score, including 25% of patients with STEMI, the associated delays in diagnosis and therapy were greater than previously and were associated with increased hospital LOS and mortality. Given the impact of this initial, cursory assessment, hospital systems should consider monitoring the quality of their ED triage.

ED triage of patients with acute myocardial infarction: predictors of low acuity triage

Objective Virtually all emergency department (ED) patients receive an ED triage assessment that determines their priority to be seen by a physician. Previous research found that half of patients who are having an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are given a low priority triage score, which is associated with delays in electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition and reperfusion therapy. We sought to determine some of the reasons why ED triage is failing in these patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of a population-based cohort of AMI patients admitted to 102 acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, from July 2000 to March 2001. We examined 10 potential patient- and hospital-level predictors of low acuity triage: age, sex, number of comorbidities, arrival mode, socioeconomic status, time of day, day of week, ED AMI volume, hospital type, and department use of triage ECGs. Results Mean age of the 3088 patients was 67.5 (SD, 14.0), and 65% were men. In adjusted quantile regression analyses, low acuity triage was independently associated with ED AMI volume (odds ratio [OR], 0.44 at very high volume centers), arrival mode (OR, 0.60 for ambulance arrival), sex (OR, 0.80 for males), age (OR, 1.1 per 10 years of age), and a low number of comorbidities (OR, 0.92 for every cardiac co-morbidity). Conclusions Low acuity ED triage of AMI patients may be predicted by several patient- and hospital-level characteristics. Focusing future interventions on these factors may improve ED triage and, subsequently, time to initial ECG and reperfusion, in this patient group.

Effect of an automated chest radiograph at triage protocol on time to antibiotics in patients admitted with pneumonia

Objective We derived and tested a protocol to automatically order a chest radiograph (CXR) at emergency department triage for patients with signs and symptoms of pneumonia to reduce time to antibiotics. Methods We derived a protocol using a retrospective study of admitted adult patients with pneumonia then prospectively tested the protocol on time to antibiotics. The protocol included patients with a chief complaint of chest pain, shortness of breath, upper respiratory tract infection, hemoptysis, fever, and cough. Of those, patients 50 years or older with any vital sign abnormality and patients younger than 50 with a comorbidity of immunocompromise, cancer, diabetes, transplant, or chronic alcoholism had a CXR ordered automatically. Results Although the protocol was only 35% (95% confidence interval, 28%-43%) sensitive in identifying patients admitted with pneumonia, time to antibiotics (in hours) (3.4 vs 4.2, P = .01) and time to CXR (3.0 vs 2.0, P = .01) for patients admitted with pneumonia were lower during the study period. Conclusion Automated CXR at triage reduces time to antibiotics in patients admitted with pneumonia.

A study to derive a clinical decision rule for triage of emergency department patients with chest pain: design and methodology.

BackgroundChest pain is the second most common chief complaint in North American emergency departments. Data from the U.S. suggest that 2.1% of patients with acute myocardial infarction and 2.3% of patients with unstable angina are misdiagnosed, with slightly higher rates reported in a recent Canadian study (4.6% and 6.4%, respectively). Information obtained from the history, 12-lead ECG, and a single set of cardiac enzymes is unable to identify patients who are safe for early discharge with sufficient sensitivity. The 2007 ACC/AHA guidelines for UA/NSTEMI do not identify patients at low risk for adverse cardiac events who can be safely discharged without provocative testing. As a result large numbers of low risk patients are triaged to chest pain observation units and undergo provocative testing, at significant cost to the healthcare system. Clinical decision rules use clinical findings (history, physical exam, test results) to suggest a diagnostic or therapeutic course of action. Currently no methodologically robust clinical decision rule identifies patients safe for early discharge.Methods/designThe goal of this study is to derive a clinical decision rule which will allow emergency physicians to accurately identify patients with chest pain who are safe for early discharge. The study will utilize a prospective cohort design. Standardized clinical variables will be collected on all patients at least 25 years of age complaining of chest pain prior to provocative testing. Variables strongly associated with the composite outcome acute myocardial infarction, revascularization, or death will be further analyzed with multivariable analysis to derive the clinical rule. Specific aims are to: i) apply standardized clinical assessments to patients with chest pain, incorporating results of early cardiac testing; ii) determine the inter-observer reliability of the clinical information; iii) determine the statistical association between the clinical findings and the composite outcome; and iv) use multivariable analysis to derive a highly sensitive clinical decision rule to guide triage decisions.DiscussionThe study will derive a highly sensitive clinical decision rule to identify low risk patients safe for early discharge. This will improve patient care, lower healthcare costs, and enhance flow in our busy and overcrowded emergency departments.

Impact of 64-Slice Cardiac Computed Tomographic Angiography on Clinical Decision-Making in Emergency Department Patients With Chest Pain of Possible Myocardial Ischemic Origin

To examine the impact of contrast enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) on clinical decision-making in patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain of possible ischemic origin, we studied 58 consecutive patients (age 56 +/- 10 years, 36% female) with chest pain, intermediate risk, and no ischemic electrocardiographic changes or increased biomarker measurements. After standard ED patient assessment including cardiology consultation, a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome was made in 41 patients (71%), hospitalization was recommended in 47 (81%), and 32 (55%) were scheduled for an early invasive strategy. Patients underwent 64-slice contrast agent-enhanced MDCT with image reconstruction in multiple formats using retrospective electrocardiographic gating, which revealed normal (no or trivial atheroma) coronary vasculature in 15 patients, nonobstructive atheroma in 20 patients, and obstructive coronary disease (> or =1 luminal narrowing of > or =50%) in 23 patients. After MDCT, the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome was revised in 18 of 41 patients (44%; 16 normal MDCT/widely patent stents, 2 alternative diagnoses), planned hospitalization canceled in 21 of 47 patients (45%; 13 normal MDCT/patent stent, 8 minor branch vessel disease), and planned early invasive strategy altered in 25 of 58 patients (43%; unnecessary in 20 of 32, advisable in 5 of 26 others). Effect of MDCT on clinical decisions was greater in the 36 patients without known preceding coronary disease. In 32 patients discharged from the ED (11 after initial triage, 21 patients after MDCT), there were no major adverse cardiac events (e.g., death, myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization) during a 12-month follow-up period. In conclusion, contrast agent-enhanced 64-slice cardiac MDCT was a valuable diagnostic tool in the ED triage of patients with chest pain of possible ischemic origin and decreased the need for hospitalization by almost half in this patient cohort.

The Impact of Unstable Angina Guidelines in the Triage of Emergency Department Patients with Possible Acute Coronary Syndrome

The primary aim of this study is to determine whether implementing the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) Unstable Angina Practice Guideline improves emergency physician's decision making in patients with symptoms of possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including those for whom the diagnosis of unstable angina is uncertain. The authors conducted a prospective guideline implementation trial with pre-post design in the emergency departments of 1 university hospital and 1 university-affiliated community teaching hospital from January 2000 to May 2001. They enrolled 1140 adults who presented with chest pain or other symptoms of possible ACS. The intervention included the following: 1) physician training in use of the AHCPR risk groups, 2) algorithm for risk stratification, and 3) group feedback. To determine how accurately physicians interpreted the guideline algorithm, the authors compared their risk ratings with actual guideline risk groups. No significant difference in physician triage decisions was observed between baseline and intervention periods. Analysis of physician's risk ratings during the intervention period revealed low overall concordance with actual guideline risk groups (kappa = 0.31); however, physician's risk ratings showed superior discrimination in identifying patients with confirmed ACS (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] area .81 v. .74, P = 0.008). Strict adherence to guideline recommendations would have resulted in hospitalizing 9% more non-ACS patients without lowering the rate of missed ACS. Implementation of the AHCPR guideline did not improve triage decisions in emergency department patients with possible ACS. Assessing physician triage solely based on concordance with the AHCPR guideline may not accurately reflect the quality of patient care.

Emergency department triage of patients with acute chest pain: definition of cardiac troponin I decisional value to manage patients without electrocardiographic evidence of ischemia.

The aim of this study was to define the use of a new cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay for emergency patients with chest pain and no specific electrocardiographic changes consistent with the presence of ischemia. Patients (n = 106) admitted in Emergency/Cardiology Departments for chest pain and suspicion of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were randomized into two diagnosis groups (ACS or non-ACS) by two independent cardiologists. cTnI measurements were performed at admission, and 6 hours and 12 hours later with a new generation assay (Access AccuTnI, Beckman Coulter). Using an upper reference limit of 0.04 microg/l, 27 patients had a cTnI elevation not related to the final diagnosis of ischemia; the positive predictive value (PPV) was 67% with specificity 48%. The decisional value was re-defined and set at 0.16 microg/l, a concentration corresponding to the 99th percentile of the non-ACS patient group. Precision (coefficient of variation) was 8% at this level, PPV 97% and specificity 98%. This new decisional value is now used in our institution and could be included in standard care guidelines to improve the management of patients presenting chest pain in emergency departments.

9.2 Stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging optimizes the triage of emergency department patients with acute chest pain

9.2 Stress SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging optimizes the triage of emergency department patients with acute chest pain

Critical pathways : a review. Committee on Acute Cardiac Care, Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association.

Critical pathways, also known as critical paths, clinical pathways, or care paths, are management plans that display goals for patients and provide the sequence and timing of actions necessary to achieve these goals with optimal efficiency.1 As competition in the healthcare industry has increased, managers have embraced critical pathways as a method to reduce variation in care, decrease resource utilization, and potentially improve healthcare quality. Cardiovascular medicine in particular is an area in which critical pathways have been embraced. This is due in part to the high volume and high cost associated with cardiovascular diseases and procedures. In addition, the relatively mature guideline process has also contributed to the growth in use of critical pathways in cardiology. Although anchored in clinical guidelines, the critical pathway is a distinct tool that details processes of care and highlights inefficiencies regardless of whether there is evidence to warrant changes in those processes. Clinical guidelines, on the other hand, are consensus statements that are systematically developed to assist practitioners in making patient management decisions related to specific clinical circumstances.2 Although clinical guidelines can and should be used in pathway development, the majority of processes included in a pathway have not been rigorously tested and are generally not addressed in guidelines. Another term that should also be distinguished from critical pathways is clinical protocols. Protocols are treatment recommendations that are often based on guidelines. Like the critical pathway, the goal of the clinical protocol may be to decrease treatment variation. However, protocols are most often focused on guideline compliance rather than the identification of rate-limiting steps in the patient care process. In further contrast to critical pathways, protocols may or may not include a continuous monitoring and data-evaluation component. Critical pathway techniques were first developed for use in industry as a tool to …

Emergency department triage of patients with nontraumatic chest pain

Emergency department triage of patients with nontraumatic chest pain

Physician response to a prediction rule for the triage of emergency department patients with chest pain

To determine the response of physicians to a noncoercive prediction rule for the triage of emergency department patients with chest pain. Prospective time-series intervention study. A university hospital emergency department. 68 physicians, all of whom were responsible for the triage of at least one of 252 patients presenting to the emergency department with a chief complaint of acute chest pain. A previously validated algorithmic prediction rule that was attached to the back of patient data forms in the emergency department. Patients' clinical data were recorded by the examining physician in the emergency department or by a research nurse blinded to patient outcome. The physicians recorded their own estimates of the risk of acute myocardial infarction and their reactions to the prediction rule in a self-administered questionnaire completed at the time of triage. The physicians reported that they looked at the prediction rule during the triage of 115 (46%) of the 252 patients. The likelihood of using the prediction rule decreased significantly with increasing level of physician training. The most common reasons given for disregarding the prediction rule were confidence in unaided decision making and lack of time. The physicians reported that of the 115 cases for which the prediction rule was used, only one triage decision (1%) was changed by it. Future research should explore how prediction rules can be designed and implemented to surmount the barriers highlighted by these data.