Multidisciplinary assessment at triage: a new way forward.

Objective: To evaluate a dual doctor and nurse triage system at a tertiary referral hospital.

Methods: Data were compared between periods of multidisciplinary triage and periods of standard triage. Data comparison was also made between rostered multidisciplinary triage shifts and non-multidisciplinary triage shifts. Staff satisfaction with the process was assessed.

Results: The percentage of patients seen within Australasian Triage Scale performance indicator thresholds increased from 75% to 81% in Category 2 patients (P = 0.12) and 56% to 78% in Category 3 patients (P < 0.0001). There was a reduction of 50% in the number of patients who left prior to being seen by a doctor (P = 0.024). Surveys showed high staff satisfaction with the process.

Conclusions: We feel that multidisciplinary triage performs a useful function in our department enabling us to reduce waiting times. The process is widely accepted amongst the staff and it ensures a senior doctor assesses most patients. It reduces the number of patients leaving prior to being seen by a doctor and it provides one way of getting around access block and a physically small department.