Supplementary task factors
| | | |
Temporary dressing given before waiting for full ED examination | 6 | 250 | 1 |
Time spent in preparing documentation for patient | 25* | 230 | 2 |
Triage staff absent when patient is in triage | 22* | 234 | 1 |
Information sought to support the triage task decision making | 16* | 238 | 3 |
| | | |
Support factors
| | | |
Specialty giving undesirable response | 5 | 250 | 2 |
Problems with phone/bleep contact (wrong/not answering) | 7 | 248 | 2 |
Porter problems | 4 | 251 | 2 |
Triage staff escorting patient into the department | 65* | 180 | 12 |
| | | |
Patient factors influencing triage task complexity
| | | |
Patient gives an “inappropriate history” as recorded by triage staff on computer | 11 | 244 | 2 |
Patient is relabelled from code given at reception to code given at triage | 76 | 176 | 5 |
Labelled from chest pain to other code | 6 | | |
Labelled from other code to chest pain | 7 | | |
Patient does not have the appropriate documents | 3 | 252 | 2 |
Patient has language problems | 54 | 201 | 2 |
Patient behaves violently (verbal or physical) | 0 | 255 | 2 |
Patient has experience/knowledge in clinical practice | 6 | 249 | 2 |
| | | |
Equipment-related factors
| | | |
Patient requiring wheelchair | 7 | 248 | 1 |
Equipment missing or failed in triage | 8 | 247 | 2 |
Addressed by leaving triage | 6 | | |
Addressed by suboptimal triage process | 2 | | |
Computer problems | 12* | 243 | 2 |
Drugs cupboard keys missing | 0 | 254 | 3 |
| | | |
Interruptions
| | | |
Triage staff is interrupted by paramedic/external staff (eg, hospital suppliers, staff visitors) | 6 | 249 | 2 |
Triage staff is interrupted by ED/local hospital staff | 25 | 230 | 2 |
Triage staff is interrupted by patient/family member | 28 | 227 | 1 |
Interrupted by phone calls relating to current patient | 15* | 240 | 2 |
Specialty expected | 5 | | |
Not expected but triaged to a specialty | 4 | | |
Interrupted by phone calls not relating to current patient (other patient/issue) | 23* | 232 | 2 |