Diagnostic anticipation to reduce emergency department length of stay: a retrospective cohort study in Ferrara University hospital, Italy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Emergency Department (ED) crowding reduces staff satisfaction and healthcare quality and safety, which in turn increase costs. Despite a number of proposed solutions, ED length of stay (LOS) - a main cause of overcrowding - remains a major issue worldwide. This retrospective cohort study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness on ED LOS of a procedure called "Diagnostic Anticipation" (DA), which consisted in anticipating the ordering of blood tests by nurses, at triage, following a diagnostic algorithm approved by physicians.

Methods

In the second half of 2019, the ED of the University Hospital of Ferrara, Italy, adopted the DA protocol on alternate weeks for all patients with chest pain, abdominal pain, and non-traumatic bleeding. A retrospective cohort study o

SUBMITTER: Strada A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7346651 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature