The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Crowding in the emergency department (ED) is a well documented problem putting patients at risk of adverse outcomes. To combat this, most ED's use some form of triage. In the last two decades systematic triage or process triage has become the norm in most countries but this approach is supported by limited evidence. Our aim is to develop a faster triage model of only a few vital parameters, based on a data from a large cohort of unselected ED patients and evaluate if such a model combined with a clinical assessment by the ED nurse is inferior to existing triage models in a prospective cluster-randomized trial

Official Title
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The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm

Conditions
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Triage

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Copenhagen Triage Algorithm


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Patients presenting acutely to the Acute ward/Emergency department in two hospitals in the Capital of Denmark Exclusion Criteria: Patients presenting in Pediatric, Gynecological or Obstetric units

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 16 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Conventional Triage<br>Conventional triage using Danish Emergency Process Triage (DEPT). | |
| Experimental: Copenhagen Triage Algorithm<br>The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm is used as triage form in the ED. The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm consists of a few vital parameters and a clinical assessment from the ED nurse. | Behavioral: Copenhagen Triage Algorithm<br>* The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm is a new triage method for faster triage in the ED<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All cause mortality | Time frame starts at the beginning of the index admission, defined as first admission in the study period. Patients will be followed using central registers. | 30 days | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of patients with an admission to the intensive care unit |  | 30 days | 
| Length of stay during admission |  | 30 days | 
| Waiting time for treatment | Waiting time from first presenting at ED to first treatment startet | 8 hours | 
| Number of readmissions | Patients will be followed using central registers. All new admissions within 91 days of the same patient is defined as readmissions. | 30 and 90 days | 
| All cause mortality |  | 48 hours | 
| All cause mortality |  | 90 days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Triage, Systematic Triage