title: Effectiveness of Five-Level Emergency Severity Index Triage System Compared With Three-Level Spot Check: An Iranian Experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Triage for patients' prioritization in the emergency department is a suitable solution to decrease overcrowding. Different methods are used for prioritization that needs effectiveness evaluation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the emergency severity index (ESI) 5-level triage system in contrast with spot check triage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this quasi-experimental study were extracted using a form to review 770 records of patients referred to emergency department of Imam Khomeini hospital (in Sari, north of Iran) during two separated periods each for four months; the first from 20th March to 19th July 2010 and the other from 21 March to 20 July 2011. The method used in the first time was spot check triage and the second one ESI triage. Data were processed with descriptive statistics and analyzed using independent samples t-test (CI = 95%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase from 6.46 to 8.92 minutes in the average time from patient arrival to being visited by a physician (P < 0.001) and increase in average time from physician visit to receive the first nursing care from 7.68 to 15.89 minutes were significant (P < 0.001). The average waiting time for laboratory services was significantly decreased from 112.3 to 84.1 (P = 0.033). Increase in the average waiting time for radiology, decrease in average waiting time for sonography, average length of stay in the emergency department, and number of patients per emergency bed were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Between the two systems of triage, ESI was more effective than the spot check and in the spatial and temporal domain of research, was a successful method in improving some indicators of emergency and improving the performance indices. Hospital managers by implementation of ESI system can take a step toward new health policies and improve the processes as key tools of continuous quality improvement system.
authors: Department of Health Services Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors: Mohammadreza
authors: M
authors: Maleki
authors: Amol Imam Reza Hospital, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IR Iran.
authors: Razieh
authors: R
authors: Fallah
authors: Department of Health Services Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Riahi
authors: Health Human Resources Research Center, School of Management and Information Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Sajad
authors: S
authors: Delavari
authors: Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
authors: Satar
authors: S
authors: Rezaei
keywords: Comparative Effectiveness Research; Emergency Service; Triage