Advanced emergency nursing journal
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Review Meta Analysis
Can Team Triage Improve Patient Flow in the Emergency Department? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
This systematic review was performed as a feasibility study for revamping the triage service of an emergency department (ED) in a district hospital. In view of the overcrowding problem that plagues EDs worldwide, we reviewed evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine whether ED team triage improves patient flow in comparison with single-nurse triage. We measured improvement in patient flow in terms of the reduction in length of stay (LOS) or wait time (WT) for all ED patients. ⋯ One study reported death as an outcome: Relative risk was 0.34 (95% CI [0.01, 8.24]), which suggested that team triage might reduce mortality. Overall, although we have found no conclusive evidence from RCTs to support the use of team triage for improving patient flow in the ED, the results need not deter nursing managers intending to introduce team triage for improving the morale of the triage nurse. However, they may need to consider economic and organizational factors, such as resource reallocation and staff receptiveness, in implementing the new practice.