Does rapid assessment shorten the amount of time patients spend in the emergency department

Background: Overcrowding in the emergency department is a common phenomenon. This study assessed the impact of introducing a consultant-supported rapid assessment model, known as EDIT, and point of care testing upon the length of time patients spend in the emergency department. Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in an emergency department in a district general hospital in the UK. The study consisted of two phases. Patients who attended the emergency department during phase 1 were assessed using a nurse-led triage model with blood samples being analysed in a centralized hospital laboratory. Phase 2 patients were assessed by a consultant-supported rapid assessment model with blood tests being analysed using point of care testing. The time from patient arrival in the emergency department to the time that care was complete and the patient was ready to move on to the next destination of care was recorded. These times from the two phases were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum te...