Improved outcomes for emergency department patients whose ambulance off‐stretcher time is not delayed
Open Access
- 5 May 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Emergency Medicine Australasia
- Vol. 27 (3), 216-224
- https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.12399
Abstract
To describe and compare characteristics and outcomes of patients who arrive by ambulance to the ED. We aimed to (i) compare patients with a delayed ambulance offload time (AOT) >30 min with those who were not delayed; and (ii) identify predictors of an ED length of stay (LOS) of >4 h for ambulance-arriving patients. A retrospective, multi-site cohort study was undertaken in Australia using 12 months of linked health data (September 2007–2008). Outcomes of AOT delayed and non-delayed presentations were compared. Logistic regression analysis was undertaken to identify predictors of an ED LOS of >4 h. Of the 40 783 linked, analysable ambulance presentations, AOT delay of >30 min was experienced by 15%, and 63% had an ED LOS of >4 h. Patients with an AOT 4 h included: hospital admission, older age, triage category, and offload delay >30 min. Patients arriving to the ED via ambulance and offloaded within 30 min experience better outcomes than those delayed. Given that offload delay is a modifiable predictor of an ED LOS of >4 h, targeted improvements in the ED arrival process for ambulance patients might be useful.Keywords
Funding Information
- Queensland Emergency Medicine Research Foundation
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