Dataset Information

Consistency of triage scores by presenting complaint pre- and post-implementation of a real-time electronic triage decision support tool.

ABSTRACT: Objective:eCTAS is a real-time electronic decision-support tool designed to standardize the application of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). This study addresses the variability of CTAS score distributions across institutions pre- and post-eCTAS implementation. Methods:We used population-based administrative data from 2016-2018 from all emergency departments (EDs) that had implemented eCTAS for 9 months. Following a 3-month stabilization period, we compared 6 months post-eCTAS data to the same 6 months the previous year (pre-eCTAS). We included triage encounters of adult (?17 years) patients who presented with 1 of 16 pre-specified, high-volume complaints. For each ED, consistency was calculated as the absolute difference in CTAS distribution compared to the average of all included EDs for each presenting complaint. Pre-eCTAS and post-eCTAS change scores were compared using a paired-samples t-test. We also assessed if eCTAS modifiers were associated with triage consistency. Results:There were 363,214 (183,231 pre-eCTAS, 179,983 post-eCTAS) triage encounters included from 35 EDs. Triage scores were more consistent (P < 0.05) post-eCTAS for 6 (37.5%) presenting complaints: chest pain (cardiac features), extremity weakness/symptoms of cerebrovascular accident, fever, shortness of breath, syncope, and hyperglycemia. Triage consistency was similar pre- and post-eCTAS for altered level of consciousness, anxiety/situational crisis, confusion, depression/suicidal/deliberate self-harm, general weakness, head injury, palpitations, seizure, substance misuse/intoxication, and vertigo. Use of eCTAS modifiers was associated with increased triage consistency. Conclusions:eCTAS increased triage consistency across many, but not all, high-volume presenting complaints. Modifier use was associated with increased triage consistency, particularly for non-specific complaints such as fever and general weakness.

SUBMITTER: McLeod SL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7593433 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Consistency of triage scores by presenting complaint pre- and post-implementation of a real-time electronic triage decision support tool.

McLeod Shelley L SL Thompson Cameron C Borgundvaag Bjug B Thabane Lehana L Ovens Howard H Scott Steve S Ahmed Tamer T Grewal Keerat K McCarron Joy J Filsinger Brooke B Mittmann Nicole N Worster Andrew A Agoritsas Thomas T Bullard Michael M Guyatt Gordon G

Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open 20200421 5

<h4>Objective</h4>eCTAS is a real-time electronic decision-support tool designed to standardize the application of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). This study addresses the variability of CTAS score distributions across institutions pre- and post-eCTAS implementation.<h4>Methods</h4>We used population-based administrative data from 2016-2018 from all emergency departments (EDs) that had implemented eCTAS for 9 months. Following a 3-month stabilization period, we compared 6 months pos ...[more]

PMID: 33145515

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Project description:ImportanceThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Five-Star Quality Rating System combines results from nursing home recertification surveys and complaint investigations into a single indicator for health inspections. This combination may mask complaint investigation results.ObjectiveTo construct and compare star ratings specific to recertification surveys and specific to complaint investigations to discern whether they provide different information.Design, setting, and participantsIn this quality improvement study, the Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Rating System was used to calculate three 5-star ratings: 1 overall health inspection rating combining recertification survey scores and complaint investigation scores, 1 using only recertification scores, and 1 using only complaint investigation scores. The study included US nursing homes. The sample calculated star ratings for nursing homes in November 2017. This sample included all whose most recent recertification surveys occurred in 2016 up to and including November 2017, and those with 36 months of data from the ASPEN Complaints/Incidents Tracking System and the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports. Data analyses were completed on different days in 2022, depending on which questions were being addressed.Main outcomes and measuresComparison of the 3 star rating distributions. The recertification survey and complaint investigation star ratings were compared with respect to the overall health investigation rating. The recertification and complaint star ratings were cross-tabulated.ResultsAmong the 15 499 nursing homes, 19.8% had 1 overall health inspection star, 23.2% had 2, 23.2% had 3, 23.2% had 4, and 9.8% had 5 overall health inspection stars. Most had the same overall and recertification star ratings; for example, 79.4% had 5 overall stars and 5 recertification survey stars. However, overall and complaint-based star ratings were discordant, with a relatively large proportion of nursing homes (25.7%) having no complaint deficiencies and therefore high star ratings.Conclusions and relevanceIn this quality improvement study assessing the 2 components of the Five-Star Quality Rating System, results of recertification surveys were largely similar to health inspection star ratings. However, recertification survey scores differed from complaint inspection scores, suggesting health inspection ratings may not reflect consumers' views of care, services, or other valued amenities. A complaint-focused metric may have utility. However, research is needed concerning the many nursing homes with no or very few complaint deficiencies.

Project description:Reduction in emergency department (ED) use is frequently viewed as a potential source for cost savings. One consideration has been to deny payment if the patient's diagnosis upon ED discharge appears to reflect a "nonemergency" condition. This approach does not incorporate other clinical factors such as chief complaint that may inform necessity for ED care.To determine whether ED presenting complaint and ED discharge diagnosis correspond sufficiently to support use of discharge diagnosis as the basis for policies discouraging ED use.The New York University emergency department algorithm has been commonly used to identify nonemergency ED visits. We applied the algorithm to publicly available ED visit data from the 2009 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) for the purpose of identifying all "primary care-treatable" visits. The 2009 NHAMCS data set contains 34,942 records, each representing a unique ED visit. For each visit with a discharge diagnosis classified as primary care treatable, we identified the chief complaint. To determine whether these chief complaints correspond to nonemergency ED visits, we then examined all ED visits with this same group of chief complaints to ascertain the ED course, final disposition, and discharge diagnoses.Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and disposition associated with chief complaints related to nonemergency ED visits.Although only 6.3% (95% CI, 5.8%-6.7%) of visits were determined to have primary care-treatable diagnoses based on discharge diagnosis and our modification of the algorithm, the chief complaints reported for these ED visits with primary care-treatable ED discharge diagnoses were the same chief complaints reported for 88.7% (95% CI, 88.1%-89.4%) of all ED visits. Of these visits, 11.1% (95% CI, 9.3%-13.0%) were identified at ED triage as needing immediate or emergency care; 12.5% (95% CI, 11.8%-14.3%) required hospital admission; and 3.4% (95% CI, 2.5%-4.3%) of admitted patients went directly from the ED to the operating room.Among ED visits with the same presenting complaint as those ultimately given a primary care-treatable diagnosis based on ED discharge diagnosis, a substantial proportion required immediate emergency care or hospital admission. The limited concordance between presenting complaints and ED discharge diagnoses suggests that these discharge diagnoses are unable to accurately identify nonemergency ED visits.

Dataset Information

Consistency of triage scores by presenting complaint pre- and post-implementation of a real-time electronic triage decision support tool.

Publications

Consistency of triage scores by presenting complaint pre- and post-implementation of a real-time electronic triage decision support tool.

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