Navigating triage to meet targets for waiting times

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Medicine
• Process Improvement

Background:

• Existing triage systems in emergency departments (EDs) faced challenges impacting patient flow and care quality.
• The need to align with the latest ED quality clinical indicators necessitated a review of current assessment protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel initial assessment process named 'navigation' within an emergency department setting.
• To address identified problems within the existing triage system.
• To ensure compliance with current ED quality clinical indicators.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a new patient assessment strategy termed 'navigation' in the emergency department.
• Detailed explanation of the navigation system's design and operational workflow.
• Analysis of the change-management processes required for successful integration.

Main Results:

• The introduction of the navigation process aimed to resolve issues associated with the previous triage system.
• The new system was designed to facilitate adherence to critical ED quality clinical indicators.
• Successful implementation required a structured approach to change management.

Conclusions:

• The navigation process offers a viable solution for enhancing emergency department assessment and triage.
• Effective change management is crucial for the successful adoption of new healthcare delivery models.
• This initiative supports improved ED performance and patient care outcomes.