Establishing an emergency department syndromic surveillance system to support the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Background: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a mass gathering event that will present a major public health challenge. The Health Protection Agency, in collaboration with the College of Emergency Medicine, has established the Emergency Department Sentinel Syndromic Surveillance System (EDSSS) to support the public health surveillance requirements of the Games.

Methods: This feasibility study assesses the usefulness of EDSSS in monitoring indicators of disease in the community.

The impact of a computerised whiteboard system on digit preference bias in the recording of emergency department process times.

Objective: Digit preference bias has previously been described in a number of different clinical settings including the emergency department. This study aimed to assess whether the implementation of a computerised recording system affects the digit preference bias in recording of times of arrival, assessment and departure at an emergency department.

Methods: A preintervention/postintervention study was undertaken in a type 1 district general hospital emergency department that receives approximately 70 000 attendances per annum.

How accurate are predicted waiting times, determined upon a patient's arrival in the Emergency Department?

Background: Information regarding waiting times has been shown to be a key determinant of patient satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the potential accuracy of predicted waiting times determined on the patient's arrival in the Emergency Department (ED).

Methods: A retrospective study of 50 000 consecutive patients attending a single ED was undertaken.

Defining frequent use of an urban emergency department.

Objective: This study aimed to develop a definition of frequent use of an emergency department (ED) by comparing differences in the observed frequency distribution with that of a theoretical frequency distribution.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of attendance of ED and minor injury unit attendances in one city over 1 year was conducted. From these data, the expected frequency distribution was determined based upon a Poisson distribution.

The utility of clinical features in patients presenting with nontraumatic headache: an investigation of adult patients attending an emergency department.

Objective: When patients present to an emergency department because of nontraumatic headache, they often present a diagnostic challenge. This study aimed to examine the utility of clinical features in detecting serious underlying causes of nontraumatic headache in adult patients presenting to an emergency department.

Methods: A prospective observational study of alert adult patients presenting to 1 UK emergency department over a period of 14 months was conducted.

Digit preference bias in the recording of emergency department times.

Objective: Digit preference bias has previously been described in a number of different clinical settings. The paper aimed to assess whether digit preference bias affects the recording of the time patients arrive and leave emergency departments.

Method: An observational study of 137 emergency departments in England and Wales was conducted.