Table 1 Characteristics of care model which vary between sites, (✓ = present, x = absent)
From: Not all waits are equal: an exploratory investigation of emergency care patient pathways
Characteristics/Site | Hospital A | Hospital B | Hospital C | Hospital D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Catchment population size (approx.) | 450,000 | 350,000 | 612,000 | 500,000 |
New ED attendances (annual approx.) | 95,000 | 90,000 | 75,000 | 70,000 |
Conversion rate of A&E attendance to admission (range %) | 26–34 | 22–28 | 30–36 | 30–40 |
Care model variations | ||||
Innovation in the use of experienced clinical input | General practitioners | Acute physicians | Emergency medicine | Traditional approach |
Use “Single point of entry”. All patients enter through ED | x | x | ✓ by design | ✓ by default |
Automatic transfer of blood samples to lab | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic test notification: blood results | x | x | x | ✓ |
Barriers to prompt discharge (dispersed geographical population) | x | x | x | ✓ |
Elderly assessment teams | x | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Discharge waiting area used | ✓ | x | ✓ | x |
Medical/nursing routinely assist patient transfers (i.e. not relying on porters) | x | ✓ | ✓ | x |
Clinical decision unit (CDU) or equivalent (an ‘off the clock’ area) | ✓ | x | x | ✓ |