Older adults are prioritized in terms of waiting time under the emergency triage system in Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Aim To assess whether elderly patients are prioritized under the emergency triage system in Guangzhou, China. Methods This was a cross‐sectional survey of clinical data from adult visitors to the emergency department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University between 1 August 2015 and 31 December 2017. The primary end‐point was receiving the first medical service within the target waiting time, which varied according to the triage level of the patient. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine whether age was an independent predictor of a shorter waiting time. Results Data from 262 282 emergency patients were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 35.97 years, and 7.5% were aged ≥65 years. In total, 88.3% of patients received medical service within the target waiting time, and 87.4% of elderly patients received medical service within the target waiting time. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age was independently associated with receiving medical service within the target waiting time (adjusted odds ratio 1.258, 95% confidence interval 1.198–1.321; P < 0.001). The triage level, type of emergency subdivision, availability of outpatient services and time of day were also associated with receiving medical service within the target waiting time. Conclusion Under the emergency triage system of the hospital, older adults are more likely to receive medical service within the target waiting time than younger patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 786–791.

Emergency department use and length of stay by younger and older adults: Nottingham cohort study in the emergency department (NOCED)

“…In three French hospitals, Casalino et al showed that older age was a predictor of longer length of ED stay in unadjusted analyses, but not after adjusting for arrival mode and acuity level [ 31 ]. In contrast, older adults were prioritised and less likely to exceed waiting times in ED in China [ 29 , 30 ].…”

“…This target was then revised but remained as a reference in clinical practice and scientific literature [ 26 , 27 ]. A few studies showed that older adults had an increased risk of exceeding recommended targets [ 26 – 28 ], while others showed that they were prioritised and seen within target times, after adjusting for triage categories [ 29 , 30 ]. A French study found that age was no longer associated with length of ED stay after adjustment for covariates [ 31 ].…”

Initial Development of a Patient Reported Experience Measure for Older Adults Attending the Emergency Department: Part I—Interviews with Service Users

“…In the UK setting, older patients wait longer, and have a prolonged stay in the ED compared to younger patients [1]. However, there may be some international variation in wait times experienced by older adults [44,45]. As such, it is important that a PREM aimed at older adults examines the experience of waiting, which may give locally relevant insights into where improvement would be beneficial.…”

Time to Seek Care and Hospital Length of Stay Among Older Adults With Acute Coronary Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…This might explain the long time to arrive at hospital among Jordanian older adults with ACS who prefer to use and access transportation services. It took approximately 17 minutes for the participating older adult patients to receive care at the ED, which may be considered a short waiting time as compared to the waiting times reported among older adult patients with ACS symptoms in studies conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (Garofalo et al, 2012; Pan et al, 2019).…”