Emergency department triage and delay case review
Emergency department cases often come down to time: how the patient was triaged, how long they waited, whether they were reassessed while waiting, and whether time-critical protocols for chest pain, stroke or sepsis were started. An emergency nurse reconstructs the visit from the tracking board and the chart.
What the nurse reviewer examines
- Triage acuity (Emergency Severity Index) and whether it fit the presentation
- Waiting-room reassessment and re-triage
- Door-to-ECG and other time-critical protocols
- Communication of abnormal findings to the provider
- Patients who left without being seen
- Discharge instructions and return precautions
Records to request
A starting checklist; the reviewer will flag what's missing once they have the chart.
- Triage record and ED nursing notes
- ED tracking board or patient flow timestamps
- ECGs with acquisition times
- Orders, results and MAR with times
- Discharge instructions
- Triage and protocol policies
Questions attorneys ask
Why request the ED tracking data?
The tracking board records when the patient arrived, was triaged, roomed, seen and discharged. It often gives a more precise timeline than the notes.
What is ESI?
The Emergency Severity Index, a five-level triage system used in most US emergency departments. Under-triage can delay assessment and treatment.
Consultants
Consultants in these specialties review cases privately. Post a brief and the ones who match will see it first.
Post a redacted brief, compare proposals
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