FOllow-up of LOW-acuity Patients After REdirection From a Swiss Emergency Department Using an Electronic TRIage Application
- Conditions
- Low Acuity PatientsTriageHealth Literacy LevelNon-urgent Emergencies
- Registration Number
- NCT06971419
- Lead Sponsor
- Hôpital Fribourgeois
- Brief Summary
Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a growing issue, affecting patient safety, healthcare quality, and hospital efficiency. One strategy to manage low-acuity patients is triage-based redirection, where patients with non-urgent conditions are offered the option to receive care at external medical facilities instead of the ED.
This monocentric, prospective observational study will be conducted at Fribourg Cantonal Hospital, Switzerland, and evaluates the impact of a new electronic triage and redirection system (Logibec Réorientation). The study compares two triage processes:
Current practice - Redirection based on the Swiss Emergency Triage Scale (SETS), limited to low-acuity patients (SETS 4).
New practice - Redirection using the Logibec software, allowing redirection of both low-acuity (SETS 4) and semi-urgent (SETS 3) patients based on predefined criteria.
The primary objective is to assess whether the new triage-based redirection reduces the number of ED consultations per patient within 48 hours of their initial visit.
Secondary outcomes include:
Number of consultations in the ED or other medical facilities within 7 days Rate of hospital admissions within 7 days Patient satisfaction with redirection Evolution of health literacy over 6 months Number of ED visits over 6 months Participants are adult patients (≥18 years old) classified as SETS 3-4 and identified as eligible for redirection by the Logibec software. Data will be collected through phone interviews and questionnaires over a 6-month follow-up period.
This study aims to improve triage efficiency, patient flow management, and healthcare accessibility, while ensuring patient safety in the redirection process.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- NOT_YET_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 450
- Age ≥18 years old
- Triage level SETS 3 or SETS 4 (classified as semi-urgent or low-acuity)
- Identified as eligible for redirection by the Logibec electronic triage system
- Able to speak and read French or German (for informed consent and follow-up)
- Provides informed consent: Oral consent at Day 2 and Signed informed consent sent by post after inclusion
- Inability to provide informed consent (e.g., cognitive impairment, language barrier without translation support)
- Inability to comply with study procedures, such as: Severe hearing impairment without hearing aids; Acute psychiatric conditions preventing participation; Not available for follow-up phone calls within the next 6 months
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Number of Emergency Department Consultations per Patient Within 48 Hours After Initial Visit From initial emergency department visit to 48 hours post-visit This measure refers to the total number of emergency department (ED) visits per patient within 48 hours following their initial presentation to the ED.
The first consultation at the ED is counted as the initial visit.
1. Any subsequent unplanned return visits to the ED within 48 hours of the initial visit are included in the count.
2. Data collection is conducted through electronic health records (EHR) review and patient follow-up phone calls.
This outcome aims to assess whether electronic triage-assisted redirection is effective, by providing service through alternative health care providers ,without patients needing further ED care
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method the number of consultations per patient in the ED or other medical services within 7 days after the first ED visit From initial emergency department visit to 7 days post-visit the proportion of patients who need hospitalization related to initial complaint within 7 days From initial emergency department visit to 7 days post-visit the proportion of patients satisfied with the redirection process At day 2 and day 7 post-visit Patient satisfaction as assessed by satisfaction questionnaire
the mean number of ED consultations after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months per patient From initial emergency department visit to 6 month post-visit the evaluation of the health literacy and its evolution within 6 months of visit At day 7 post-visit and 6 months post-visit Health literacy as evaluated by EU-HLS-Q16 questionnaire
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
HFR-Fribourg
🇨🇭Fribourg, Switzerland