Efficacy of a triage system to reduce length of hospital stay

Paul Williams; E. Csipke; D. Rose; Leonardo Koeser; Paul Richard McCrone; Alexander David Tulloch; G. Salaminios; Til HM Wykes; Thomas Kern Jamieson-Craig

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.113.141051

Efficacy of a triage system to reduce length of hospital stay

Paul Williams, E. Csipke, D. Rose, Leonardo Koeser, Paul Richard McCrone, Alexander David Tulloch, G. Salaminios, Til HM Wykes, Thomas Kern Jamieson-Craig

Centre for Health Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BackgroundAttempts have been made to improve the efficiency of in-patient acute care. A novel method has been the development of a 'triage system' in which patients are assessed on admission to develop plans for discharge or transfer to an in-patient ward.AimsTo compare a triage admission system with a traditional system.MethodLength of stay and readmission data for all admissions in a 1-year period between the two systems were compared using the participating trust's anonymised records.ResultsDespite reduced length of stay on the actual triage ward, the average length of stay was not reduced and the triage system did not lead to a greater number of readmissions. There was no significant difference in costs between the two systems.ConclusionsBased on our findings we cannot conclude that the triage system reduced length of stay, but we can conclude that it does not increase the number of readmissions as some have feared.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	480-485
Number of pages	6
Journal	British Journal of Psychiatry
Volume	204
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.141051
Publication status	Published - 2 Jun 2014

Keywords

PSYCHIATRIC ADMISSION
LONDON
CRISIS
UNITS

Access to Document

10.1192/bjp.bp.113.141051

Cite this

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title = "Efficacy of a triage system to reduce length of hospital stay",

abstract = "BackgroundAttempts have been made to improve the efficiency of in-patient acute care. A novel method has been the development of a 'triage system' in which patients are assessed on admission to develop plans for discharge or transfer to an in-patient ward.AimsTo compare a triage admission system with a traditional system.MethodLength of stay and readmission data for all admissions in a 1-year period between the two systems were compared using the participating trust's anonymised records.ResultsDespite reduced length of stay on the actual triage ward, the average length of stay was not reduced and the triage system did not lead to a greater number of readmissions. There was no significant difference in costs between the two systems.ConclusionsBased on our findings we cannot conclude that the triage system reduced length of stay, but we can conclude that it does not increase the number of readmissions as some have feared.",

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author = "Paul Williams and E. Csipke and D. Rose and Leonardo Koeser and McCrone, {Paul Richard} and Tulloch, {Alexander David} and G. Salaminios and Wykes, {Til HM} and Jamieson-Craig, {Thomas Kern}",

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doi = "10.1192/bjp.bp.113.141051",

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T1 - Efficacy of a triage system to reduce length of hospital stay

AU - Williams, Paul

AU - Csipke, E.

AU - Rose, D.

AU - Koeser, Leonardo

AU - McCrone, Paul Richard

AU - Tulloch, Alexander David

AU - Salaminios, G.

AU - Wykes, Til HM

AU - Jamieson-Craig, Thomas Kern

PY - 2014/6/2

Y1 - 2014/6/2

N2 - BackgroundAttempts have been made to improve the efficiency of in-patient acute care. A novel method has been the development of a 'triage system' in which patients are assessed on admission to develop plans for discharge or transfer to an in-patient ward.AimsTo compare a triage admission system with a traditional system.MethodLength of stay and readmission data for all admissions in a 1-year period between the two systems were compared using the participating trust's anonymised records.ResultsDespite reduced length of stay on the actual triage ward, the average length of stay was not reduced and the triage system did not lead to a greater number of readmissions. There was no significant difference in costs between the two systems.ConclusionsBased on our findings we cannot conclude that the triage system reduced length of stay, but we can conclude that it does not increase the number of readmissions as some have feared.

AB - BackgroundAttempts have been made to improve the efficiency of in-patient acute care. A novel method has been the development of a 'triage system' in which patients are assessed on admission to develop plans for discharge or transfer to an in-patient ward.AimsTo compare a triage admission system with a traditional system.MethodLength of stay and readmission data for all admissions in a 1-year period between the two systems were compared using the participating trust's anonymised records.ResultsDespite reduced length of stay on the actual triage ward, the average length of stay was not reduced and the triage system did not lead to a greater number of readmissions. There was no significant difference in costs between the two systems.ConclusionsBased on our findings we cannot conclude that the triage system reduced length of stay, but we can conclude that it does not increase the number of readmissions as some have feared.

KW - PSYCHIATRIC ADMISSION

KW - LONDON

KW - CRISIS

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