title: Triage in Norwegian emergency departments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of patients and stricter requirements for quality and efficiency in the management of emergency patients have spurred several Norwegian emergency departments (EDs) to introduce triage as one of several measures. This introduction has taken place without any accompanying research. We therefore wanted to investigate the use and organisation of triage, as well as the use of triage scales in the emergency departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the spring of 2010, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken among EDs with the aid of a questionnaire and telephone interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether 45 of a total of 56 Norwegian emergency hospitals (80%) participated. All our respondents reported that emergency patients underwent assessment for level of urgency. 34 (76%) reported to use triage scales, and 17 (50%) of these used self-composed scales. 21 (68%) of a total of 31 EDs that had goals for triage reported to evaluate these goals. 14 and 15 EDs respectively reported to have designated triage personnel and triage area. 24 EDs required internal triage training for nurses and assistant nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study reveals varying practices for use and organisation of triage in Norwegian EDs. This may be an effect of the absence of guidelines from the health authorities and reflect the insufficient priority which is given to ED work.
authors: Emergency Department, Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital, Norway. stenge@ous-hf.no
authors: Stine
authors: S
authors: Engebretsen
authors: Olav
authors: O
authors: Røise
authors: Lis
authors: L
authors: Ribu
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*