Triage and admission
Policies and guidelines
Emergency Department Triage Method Flowchart, Southern NSW Local Health District
Australian Triage Process Review Project (ATPR), Health Policies Priorities Principal Committee, NSW Health, March 2011
The ATPR project reviewed the triage process in Australian EDs to understand:
- current triage practices
- streaming into ED models of care
- the need for complexity tools at triage.
The key outcome of the ATPR project is a set of recommendations for the future development of triage processes that facilitate and support streamlining the triage role, streaming and complexity principles, triage education and competency, quality and performance monitoring, improving the patient experience, an ATS revision, and research opportunities.
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Literature Review on the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS), Forero R and Nugus P, ACEM, 2011
The purpose of the review is to draw on evidence from the literature to assess the current status and relevance of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine’s (ACEM’s) policy document on the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS). In particular, the review explores some current issues such as: the validity and reliability of the ATS for differentiating clinical urgency for ED patients; the role of ATS in prioritising workload; and the role of the ATS in assessing the burden of work.
Policy on the Australasian Triage Scale, P06, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Revised July 2013
Guidelines for the Implementation of the Triage Scale in Emergency Departments, G24, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Revised July 2016
Emergency Department – Notification of Specialist or VMO regarding patients admitted through the ED, GL2011_003, NSW Health, 7 February 2011
The purpose of this Guideline is to provide advice on the development of hospital mechanisms for the notification of Specialists or Visiting Medical Officers of patients admitted through the Emergency Department.
Emergency Department Patients Awaiting Care, PD2018_010, NSW Health, 16 March 2018
Details the procedures and guidelines required to address the needs of patients and their carers while in Emergency Department waiting area.
Emergency Department – Direct Admission to Inpatient Wards, PD2009_055, NSW Health, 7 September 2009
This policy directive sets out the policy to be followed where a patient in an Emergency Department requires admission and an inpatient clinical team has not confirmed acceptance of the admission within two hours of the clinical decision that the patient requires admission. The policy reflects discussions with the Emergency Care Taskforce and AMA NSW and implements Recommendation 96 of the Garling Special Commission of Inquiry.
Triage of patients in NSW Emergency Departments, PD2013_047, NSW Health, 6 December 2013
The purpose of this policy is to outline the key components of triage of patients representing to Emergency Departments in NSW hospitals including the role, key responsibilities and the processes that support efficient and safe triage.
Audit Tools
- EDMAT Tool - developed by the Rural Critical Care / Emergency CNC Group
Presentations
- Triaging for Flow - Dr Michael Davoren and Robyn Freeman at the ECI Emergency Care Symposium 2016
- My Waiting Room - Ms Margaret Murphy, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Westmead Hospital - presentation at the ECI Nursing Leadership Forum 29 May 2015