A customized early warning score enhanced emergency department patient flow process and clinical outcomes in a COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Patient crowding and boarding in the emergency department (ED) is associated with adverse outcomes and has become increasingly problematic in recent years. We investigated the impact of an ED patient flow countermeasure using an early warning score.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of observational data from patients who presented to the ED of a Level 1 Trauma Center in Pennsylvania. We implemented a modified version of the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), called mMEWS, to address patient flow. Patients aged ≥18 years old admitted to the adult hospital medicine service were included in the study. We compared the pre-mMEWS (February 19, 2017-February 18, 2019) to the post-mMEWS implementation period (February 19, 2019-June 30, 2020). During the in

SUBMITTER: Yazdanyar A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9338822 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature