Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34217351›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2021

An updated national survey of triage and triage related work in Sweden: a cross-sectional descriptive and comparative study.

Sara C Wireklint, Carina Elmqvist, Katarina E Göransson

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Observational
  6. Are 5-level triage systems improved by using a symptom based approach?-a Danish cohort study.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2022
    Article
  7. A longitudinal, retrospective registry-based validation study of RETTS©, the Swedish adult ED context version.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2022
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sara C WireklintEmergency Department and Department of Research and Development, Region Kronoberg, Department of Health and Caring Sciences and Centre of Interprofessional Collaboration within Emergency Care (CICE), Linnaeus University, FoU Kronoberg, Sigfridsvägen 5, S-352 57, Växjö, Sweden. sara.wireklint@kronoberg.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8123-0283
Carina ElmqvistDepartment of Research and Development, Region Kronoberg and Centre of Interprofessional Collaboration within Emergency Care (CICE) at the Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden.
Katarina E GöranssonDepartment of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Emergency and Reparative Medicine Theme, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Funding

The Department of Research and Development, Region Kronoberg 0825-001 8281
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTriage and triage related work has been performed in Swedish Emergency Departments (EDs) since the mid-1990s. According to two national surveys from 2005 to 2011, triage was carried out with different triage scales and without guidelines or formal education. Furthermore, a review from 2010 questioned the scientific evidence for both triage as a method as well as the Swedish five level triage scale Medical Emergency Triage and Treatment System (METTS); nevertheless, METTS was applied in 65% of the EDs in 2011. Subsequently, METTS was renamed to Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS©). The hypothesis for this study is that the method of triage is still applied nationally and that the use of METTS/RETTS© has increased. Hence, the aim is to describe the occurrence and application of triage and triage related work at Swedish Emergency Departments, in comparison with previous national surveys.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study with a descriptive and comparative design, an electronic questionnaire was developed, based on questionnaire from previous studies. The survey was distributed to all hospital affiliated EDs from late March to the middle of July in 2019. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics, by IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26.

resultsOf the 51 (75%) EDs partaking in the study, all (100%) applied triage, and 92% used the Swedish triage scale RETTS©. Even so, there was low concordance in how RETTS© was applied regarding time frames i.e., how long a patient in respective triage level could wait for assessment by a physician. Additionally, the results show a major diversion in how the EDs performed education in triage.

conclusionThis study confirms that triage method is nationally implemented across Swedish EDs. RETTS© is the dominating triage scale but cannot be considered as one triage scale due to the variation with regard to time frames per triage level. Further, a diversion in introduction and education in the pivotal role of triage has been shown. This can be counteracted by national guidelines in what triage scale to use and how to perform triage education.

Indexed as

Cross-Sectional StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalHumansSwedenTriageEducation – competency-based educationEmergency service, hospital – emergency departmentHealth care quality, access, and evaluation – cross-sectional studyRapid emergency triage and treatment systemSwedenTriage – emergency medical service

Identifiers

PMID34217351
PMCPMC8254961

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.