Standardizing Triage in Interventional Radiology: Results of a Delphi Consensus Process

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Medical Triage
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Effective patient prioritization is crucial for emergency care, reducing morbidity.
• Currently, no established triage system exists for Interventional Radiology (IR) procedures.
• Risk-stratification tools are vital for optimizing patient management in emergency settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a consensus-based triage system for Interventional Radiology (IR) cases.
• To define priority levels (high, medium, low) and intervention timing for IR procedures.
• To address the lack of a standardized triage protocol in IR.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys utilizing the Delphi method were administered to Interventional Radiology (IR) attendings.
• Three rounds of surveys were conducted to achieve consensus on procedure prioritization.
• Procedures were categorized by priority, with specific intervention timings suggested.

Main Results:

• Consensus (>75% agreement) was reached on the prioritization of 21 out of 34 common IR procedures.
• An additional two procedures achieved consensus when considering only experienced IR attendings (≥5 years).
• Survey respondents represented diverse practice settings: 55% academic, 29% private practice, 16% community hospitals.

Conclusions:

• A consensus-driven triage system for Interventional Radiology (IR) has been developed.
• Implementation of this system has the potential to enhance patient outcomes and streamline treatment.
• This framework can guide prioritization and improve efficiency in IR patient management.