Files and links (1)
Published VersionCC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Improved outcomes for emergency department patients whose ambulance off-stretcher time is not delayed
Emergency Medicine Australasia, Vol.27(3), pp.216-224
2015
Abstract
Objective 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. Methods 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. Results 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 <30 min had better outcomes for: time to triage; ambulance time at hospital; time to see healthcare professional; proportion seen within recommended triage time frame; and ED LOS for both admitted and non-admitted patients. In-hospital mortality did not differ. Strong predictors of an ED LOS >4 h included: hospital admission, older age, triage category, and offload delay >30 min. Conclusion 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.
Details
- Title
- Improved outcomes for emergency department patients whose ambulance off-stretcher time is not delayed
- Authors
- Julia Crilly (Author) - Gold Coast HealthGerben Keijzers (Author) - Gold Coast HealthVivienne Tippett (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyJohn O'Dwyer (Author) - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationJames Lind (Author) - Gold Coast HealthNerolie Bost (Author) - Gold Coast HealthMarilla O'Dwyer (Author) - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationSue Shiels (Author) - Logan HospitalMarianne Wallis (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
- Publication details
- Emergency Medicine Australasia, Vol.27(3), pp.216-224
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
- Date published
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1111/1742-6723.12399
- ISSN
- 1742-6731
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2015 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449232302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
328 File views/ downloads
1394 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Emergency Medicine
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites