CJEM
-
This study investigates the potential to improve emergency department (ED) triage using machine learning models by comparing their predictive performance with the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS) in identifying the need for critical care within 12 h of ED arrival. ⋯ Machine learning models outperformed CTAS in identifying, at the point of ED triage, patients likely to need early critical care. If validated in future studies, machine learning models such as the ones developed here may be considered for incorporation in future revisions of the CTAS triage algorithm, potentially improving discrimination and reliability.
-
Multicenter Study
Low caregiver health literacy is associated with non-urgent pediatric emergency department use.
Caregivers with low health literacy are more likely to overestimate illness severity and have poor adherence with health-promoting behaviors. Our primary objective was to relate caregiver health literacy to the urgency of emergency department (ED) utilization. The secondary objective was to explore the relationship between social and demographic characteristics, health literacy, and urgency of ED use. ⋯ Almost half of caregivers presenting to Canadian pediatric EDs have low health literacy, which may limit their ability to make appropriate healthcare decisions for their children. Low caregiver health literacy is a modifiable factor associated with increased non-urgent ED utilization. Efforts to address this may positively influence ED utilization.
-
There are many limitations to utilizing on-duty emergency department (ED) physicians as Base Hospital Physicians for paramedic telephone consultations. We aimed to examine the impact of a specialized and centralized Online Medical Consultation program for paramedic consultations on system-relevant performance. ⋯ The Online Medical Consultation program was implemented and removed the responsibility of responding to online medical consultations for on-duty emergency physicians in Ottawa. The total call duration was not significantly different between groups. Additional time intervals and adherence to protocol benefits were also not statistically significant due to low baseline incidence.