NCT00435890

Triage Liaison Physician - Evaluation of a Novel Approach to Address Emergency Department Overcrowding

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Liaison Physician at the Triage Desk to Reduce Emergency Department Overcrowding and Improve Patient Flow.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 5,718 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Alberta · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial will introduce a triage liaison physician (TLP) into the University of Alberta Hospital Emergency Department (ED) and assess the influence on patients who leave without being seen, ED length of stay, and other ED Overcrowding outcomes.

Detailed description

ED Overcrowding is a significant cause of delayed care, patient dissatisfaction, and poor outcomes in North American EDs. This intervention has not been widely studied; however, it represents an opportunity for improving patient flows in EDs.

Conditions

• Acute Illness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Triage Liaison Physician	triage liaison physician stationed with nurses at the triage desk of the Emergency Department.

Timeline

• Start date: 2005-12-01
• Primary completion: 2006-02-01
• Completion: 2006-06-01
• First posted: 2007-02-16
• Last updated: 2008-09-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada