Using a single-item rating scale as a psychiatric behavioral management triage tool in the emergency department.

Introduction: Proper monitoring of patients' behavior is essential for effective treatment and efficient disposition of psychiatric cases in the adult emergency department. The goal of the current study was to examine an attempt to implement the Behavioral Activity Rating Scale, an existing single-item measure of behavioral activity, as part of a behavioral management triage strategy for psychiatric patients in an emergency department.

Methods: For the period beginning approximately 2 months after use of the behavioral activity measure was initiated in the emergency department, charts from 284 consecutive patients who presented to the department with a chief complaint that was psychiatric in nature were reviewed.