Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41564600›Full record

ArticleApplied ergonomics2026

A work systems approach to characterizing emergency department disposition decision-making under low and high demand.

Rachel A Rutkowski, Michael S Pulia, Megan E Salwei, Emma Loveless, Lily Jaeger, Michael Rawson, Kathryn L Wust, Peter L T Hoonakker, Barbara J King, Manish N Shah and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Applied ergonomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

15 authors.

Rachel A RutkowskiDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Michael S PuliaDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA; Berbee Walsh Department of Emergency Medicine, UW-Madison, USA.
Megan E SalweiCenter for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA.
Emma LovelessDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Lily JaegerDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Michael RawsonDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Kathryn L WustDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Minnesota, USA.
Peter L T HoonakkerDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Barbara J KingSchool of Nursing, UW-Madison, USA.
Manish N ShahBerbee Walsh Department of Emergency Medicine, UW-Madison, USA.
Brian W PattersonDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA; Berbee Walsh Department of Emergency Medicine, UW-Madison, USA; UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Population Health Sciences, USA.
Paula vW DáilUW-Madison Health Sciences Patient and Family Advisory Council Member, USA.
Maureen SmithUW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Population Health Sciences, USA; UW-Madison Health Innovation Program, USA.
Pascale CarayonDepartment of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, USA.
Nicole E WernerCenter for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA; Center for Research and Innovation in Systems Safety, USA.

Funding

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science AwardUL1TR000427 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI DREZNER, MARC KENNETH · 2012 to 2016
$32.2M
Mentoring and Research in Patient-Oriented Geriatric Emergency CareK24AG054560 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI SHAH, MANISH N · 2017 to 2021
$955k
AHRQ HHS R18 HS026624NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000427NIA NIH HHS K24 AG054560
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Emergency department (ED) clinical decision-making, specifically for transfer or disposition decisions, has been challenging to characterize. The purpose of this descriptive study is to identify the work system elements that influence the ED disposition decision-making process and to identify those work system elements that vary under low and high demands. We conducted a work systems analysis of 20 contextual inquiry-based ED visit observations and 18 semi-structured interviews with ED clinicians. Results identified work system elements not previously characterized (i.e., physical environment) and revealed that a subset of elements within the ED work system vary with demand. To fully elucidate the meaning and effect of these differences, we must develop a systematic approach to eliciting the influence each work system element has on disposition decision-making process performance.

Indexed as

Clinical Decision-MakingDecision MakingEmergency Service, HospitalWorkloadHumansInterviews as TopicSystems AnalysisWorking Conditions

Identifiers

PMID41564600
PMCPMC13394379

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.