Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT00991471

The Effect of an Physician-Nurse Supplementary Triage Assistance Team on Emergency Department Patient Wait Times

The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether the introduction of a physician-nurse supplementary triage assessment team (MDRN STAT) is effective in improving time-based performance indicators for wait times. Secondary objectives will examine the quality of patient care and health care worker satisfaction and the cost-effectiveness of the program

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Emergencies Behavior Crowding Disease Attributes Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Spatial Behavior

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center

Toronto, Ontario, M1N 0A1, Canada

About this study

In 2007, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC) declared emergency department wait-times a government priority. The crisis of overcrowding and access block has become an international epidemic, affecting developing countries in Europe, North America, and Australasia. The MOHLTC has targeted 23 Ontario hospitals' prolonged wait times. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center has been selected. Therefore, this is a quality improvement study of patient wait-times and care.

During a 20-week period, the MDRN STAT will be present on randomly chosen weekdays (8:00-16:00) for 50 shifts. Wait-times, such as time from triage time to: physician assessment, stretcher occupation, treatment orders (drugs), investigation orders (laboratory, diagnostic imaging), investigation acquisition (diagnostic imaging), consultation, bed request, discharge from ED (i.e. length of stay (LOS)) time, will be analyzed. In addition, the left-without-being-seen rate (LWBS) and rate of return will be analyzed. These results will be compared to the Ontario wait-time strategy P4R targets, as well as the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS guidelines). Economic analysis of this intervention will be done. The hospital will independently perform patient satisfaction surveys. Health care worker satisfaction survey data will be analyzed.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients arriving from 8:00-14:30 during a day here a MDRN STAT is assigned

Exclusion criteria

  • None

Treatment and study plan

Interaction with MDRN STAT

Behavioral

Interaction with MDRNSTAT at triage to obtain orders for investigations and/or treatment

No MDRNSTAT

Behavioral

Standard management of nurse-only triage for assignment of CTAS

Other names: Standard triage

Primary outcomes

  1. Effectiveness of the MDRN STAT on emergency department wait times

    Time frame: Time from triage to time of discharge from ED

Secondary outcomes

  1. Cost-Effectiveness of a MDRN STAT in the Emergency Department

    Time frame: 6 months, of 50 MDRN STAT shifts, randomized with non-intervention

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Cluster Randomized Trial of the Effect of an Physician-Nurse Supplementary Triage Assistance Team (MDRN STAT) on Emergency Department Patient Wait Times

Acronym: MDRNSTAT

Important dates

Study start
2009
Primary completion
2010
Study completion
2010
First posted
Oct 8, 2009
Registry last updated
Oct 31, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.