Comparing the Effect of Conventional and Team Triage Methods on Emergency Department Performance Indicators

Abstract

Background. Effective triage is a viable solution to improve performance indicators in the emergency department. This study aimed to compare the effect of conventional triage and team triage methods on the performance indicators of emergency department. Methods. In this descriptive cross-sectional research, all 749 patients referred to the emergency department of Tabriz Sina Hospital were triaged using conventional and team methods for two consecutive weeks in July 2020. A researcher-made checklist was used to collect emergency performance indicators. The data were extracted from patient records and recorded in the checklist. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests in the SPSS.19 software. Results. Among the patients, 86.9% in the triage group using the conventional method (52.7% female) and 86.7% in the group using the team method (52% female) were older than 40 years. The results showed that in the team triage group, the number of temporarily hospitalized patients was significantly higher and the frequency of self-responsible exit was lower compared to the conventional method (P < 0.05). In addition, the waiting time for patients triaged with the team method was shorter, and the difference in values was significant for all three triage levels (P < 0.05). Conclusion. According to our results, team triage had a more positive effect on improving emergency performance indicators compared to the conventional method. Therefore, it is recommended to consider this method in hospital emergency departments to provide better services and increase patient satisfaction.