Exploring new intake models for the emergency department

The objective of this article was to explore new intake models for processing patients into the emergency department (ED) and disseminate these new ideas. In the fall of 2008, the Board of Directors of the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance (EDBA) identified intake as an area of focus and asked its members to submit new intake strategies alternative to traditional triage. All EDBA members were invited to participate via an e-mail survey. New models could be of their own design or developed by another organization and presented with permission. In all, 25 departments provided information on intake innovations. These submissions were collated into a document that outlines some of the new models. Collaborative methodology promoted the diffusion of innovation in this organization. The results of the project are presented here as an original article that outlines some of the new and mostly unpublished work occurring to improve the intake process into the ED.