Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35017171›Full record

ArticleCMAJ open

Emergency department interventions that could be conducted in subacute care settings for patients with nonemergent conditions transported by paramedics: a modified Delphi study.

Ryan P Strum, Walter Tavares, Andrew Worster, Lauren E Griffith, Andrew P Costa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CMAJ open. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
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  6. Observational
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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

5 authors.

Ryan P StrumDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Strum, Worster, Griffith, Costa), McMaster Institute for Research and Aging (Griffith), Emergency Medicine Division (Worster), Department of Medicine, and Department of Medicine (Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; The Wilson Centre (Tavares), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; York Region Paramedic and Senior Services (Tavares), Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ont. Strumr@mcmaster.ca.
Walter TavaresDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Strum, Worster, Griffith, Costa), McMaster Institute for Research and Aging (Griffith), Emergency Medicine Division (Worster), Department of Medicine, and Department of Medicine (Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; The Wilson Centre (Tavares), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; York Region Paramedic and Senior Services (Tavares), Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ont.
Andrew WorsterDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Strum, Worster, Griffith, Costa), McMaster Institute for Research and Aging (Griffith), Emergency Medicine Division (Worster), Department of Medicine, and Department of Medicine (Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; The Wilson Centre (Tavares), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; York Region Paramedic and Senior Services (Tavares), Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ont.
Lauren E GriffithDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Strum, Worster, Griffith, Costa), McMaster Institute for Research and Aging (Griffith), Emergency Medicine Division (Worster), Department of Medicine, and Department of Medicine (Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; The Wilson Centre (Tavares), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; York Region Paramedic and Senior Services (Tavares), Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ont.
Andrew P CostaDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Strum, Worster, Griffith, Costa), McMaster Institute for Research and Aging (Griffith), Emergency Medicine Division (Worster), Department of Medicine, and Department of Medicine (Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; The Wilson Centre (Tavares), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; York Region Paramedic and Senior Services (Tavares), Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ont.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs the number of patients with nonemergent conditions who are transported by paramedics continues to increase in Ontario, redirecting specific patients to subacute settings may be more beneficial and suitable for both patients and emergency departments. We aimed to evaluate whether emergency department interventions conducted on patients with nonemergent conditions who are transported by paramedics could be conducted in subacute health centres.

methodsWe conducted a RAND/UCLA modified Delphi study in Ontario between Oct. 13 and Dec. 19, 2020. We used purposive sampling to recruit practising emergency and primary care physicians for an expert panel. We abstracted interventions given to adult patients with nonemergent conditions (18 yr of age or older) who were transported by paramedics to an emergency department from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) database (Jan. 1, 2014, to Mar. 31, 2018). Participants in the expert panel rated the suitability of the 150 most frequently recorded emergency department interventions from the NACRS database, for completion in subacute health care centres. We set consensus at 70% agreement.

resultsWe invited 25 physician experts, 21 of whom consented to participate; 20 physicians completed round 1, and 18 physicians completed both rounds. After 2 rounds, consensus was reached on 146 (97.3%) interventions; 103 interventions (68.7%) were suitable for subacute centres, 43 (28.7%) for only the emergency department and 4 (2.6%) did not receive consensus. For subacute centres, all 103 interventions were rated for urgent care centres; walk-in medical centres were applicable for 46 (30.6%) interventions and clinics led by nurse practitioners for 47 (31.3%) interventions.

interpretationMost interventions provided to patients with nonemergent conditions transported by paramedics to emergency departments were identified as suitable for urgent care clinics, with one-third being suitable for either walk-in medical centres or clinics led by nurse practitioners. This study has potential to inform a patient classification model for paramedic-initiated redirection of patients from emergency departments, although further contextualization is required for this to be implemented in clinical practice. STUDY REGISTRATION: ID ISRCTN22901977.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesSubacute CareAdultAllied Health PersonnelAttitude of Health PersonnelDelphi TechniqueEmergenciesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansMaleOntarioPatient TransferPhysiciansTriage

Identifiers

PMID35017171
PMCPMC8758169

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.