ArticleInternational journal of emergency medicine2022
Comparison of the novel WEst coast System for Triage (WEST) with Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS©): an observational pilot study.
Article in International journal of emergency medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- An inter-rater reliability study of a modified version of SATS as a prehospital triage tool.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the implementation process of a new emergency triage system: West coast system for triage (WEST).PloS one · 2026Article
- Description of patients presenting with mental illness in emergency medical services: a retrospective observational study.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Observational
- National survey on availability, use and clinical impact of point-of-care blood analysis systems in Swedish emergency departments.BMC emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Leveraging Machine Learning to Identify Subgroups of Misclassified Patients in the Emergency Department: Multicenter Proof-of-Concept Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundMost Swedish emergency departments (ED) use the triage system Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System (RETTS©), which over time has proven to prioritize patients to higher triage levels. When many patients are prioritized to high triage levels, challenges with identifying true high-risk patients and increased waiting time for these patients has emerged. In order to achieve a more balanced triage in relation to actual medical risk, the triage system WEst coast System for Triage (WEST) was developed, based on the South African Triage Scale (SATS). The aim of this study was to perform an initial evaluation of the novel emergency triage system WEST compared to the existing RETTS©.
methodsBoth RETTS© and WEST are five level triage systems illustrated by colors. Nurses from each of the three adult EDs of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg and the ambulance service assessed and triaged 1510 patients according to RETTS© and immediately thereafter filled out the WEST triage form. Data from each triage report were analyzed and grouped according to the triage color, chief complaint, and outcome of each patient. Data on discharge categories and events within 72 h were also collected. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods.
resultsIn general, WEST displayed lower levels of prioritization compared to RETTS©, with no observed impact on patients' medical outcomes. In RETTS© orange triage level, approximately 50% of the patients were down prioritized in WEST to yellow or green triage levels. Also, in the RETTS© yellow triage level, more than 55% were down prioritized to green triage level in WEST. The number of patients who experienced a serious event during the first 72 h was few. Three patients died, these were all prioritized to red triage level in RETTS©. In WEST two of these patients were prioritized to red triage level and one to orange triage level. All these patients were admitted to hospital before deterioration.
conclusionsWEST may reduce over prioritization at the ED, especially in the orange and yellow triage levels of RETTS©, with no observed increase in medical risk. WEST can be recommended for a clinical comparative study.
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