The comparability of emergency department waiting time performance data

Considine, Julie; Shaban, Ramon Z; Gerdtz, Marie F; Crellin, Dianne

doi:10.5694/mja12.11460

Topics

To the Editor: In their recent article on emergency department (ED) waiting time performance data, Greene and Hall1 proposed that “assigning patients to a less urgent triage category than is appropriate” is a possible explanation for observed variations in waiting time performance.

1 Deakin University–Northern Health Clinical Partnership, Melbourne, VIC.
2 Griffith Health Institute Research Centre for Clinical and Community Practice Innovation, Logan City, QLD.
3 Melbourne School of Health Sciences (Nursing), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
4 Emergency Department, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC.
5 Emergency Department, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.

Correspondence: julie.considine@deakin.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Greene J, Hall J. The comparability of emergency department waiting time performance data. Med J Aust 2012; 197: 345-348. <MJA full text>
2. Gerdtz M, Considine J, Sands N, et al. Emergency triage education kit. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2007.
3. Monash Institute of Health Services Research. Consistency of triage in Victoria’s emergency departments: Triage Consistency Report. Melbourne: Victorian Department of Human Services, 2001. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/archive/archive2006/hdms/triage.htm (accessed Nov 2012).
4. Curtis AJ, Stoelwinder JU, McNeil JJ. Management of waiting lists needs sound data. Med J Aust 2009; 191: 423-424. <MJA full text>
5. British Medical Association. BMA survey of A&E waiting times. London: Health Policy and Economic Research Unit, BMA, 2005. http://www.collemergencymed.ac.uk/code/document.asp?ID=3156 (accessed Sep 2012).

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.