A time-motion study on impact of spatial separation for empiric airborne precautions in emergency department length of stay.

Autor: Zambri SNA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Poh K; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Noor Azhar AM; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Mohd Kamil MK; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Md Yusuf MH; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Selamat MA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Muhammad Yusuf S; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Hairudin NA; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Mohamed Shafri NI; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Sa'ari NA; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Syukri Azhar M; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Azizah Ariffin MA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of clinical nursing [J Clin Nurs] 2024 Aug 05. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 05.
DOI: 10.1111/jocn.17398
Abstrakt: Aims: To evaluate the impact of spatial separation on patient flow in the emergency department.
Design: This was a retrospective, time-and-motion analysis conducted from 15 to 22 August, 2022 at the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During this duration, spatial separation was implemented in critical and semi-critical zones to separate patients with symptoms of respiratory infections into respiratory area, and patients without into non-respiratory area. This study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.
Methods: Patients triaged to critical and semi-critical zones were included in this study. Timestamps of patient processes in emergency department until patient departure were documented.
Results: The emergency department length-of-stay was longer in respiratory area compared to non-respiratory area; 527 min (381-698) versus 390 min (285-595) in critical zone and 477 min (312-739) versus 393 min (264-595) in semi-critical zone. In critical zone, time intervals of critical flow processes and compliance to hospital benchmarks were similar in both areas. More patients in respiratory area were managed within the arrival-to-contact ≤30 min benchmark and more patients in non-respiratory area had emergency department length-of-stay ≤8 h.
Conclusions: The implementation of spatial separation in infection control should address decision-to-departure delays to minimise emergency department length of stay.
Impact: The study evaluated the impact of spatial separation on patient flow in the emergency department. Emergency department length-of-stay was significantly prolonged in the respiratory area. Hospital administrators and policymakers can optimise infection control protocols measures in emergency departments, balancing infection control measures with efficient patient care delivery.
Reporting Method: STROBE guidelines.
No Patient or Public Contribution: None.
Trial and Protocol Registration: The study obtained ethics approval from the institution's Medical Ethics Committee (MREC ID NO: 20221113-11727).
Statistical Analysis: The author has checked and make sure our submission has conformed to the Journal's statistical guideline. There is a statistician on the author team (Noor Azhar).
(© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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