Table 1

Summary of included studies

Study; country	Design; duration of study	Objectives	Setting (annual visits)	ED-management strategy: type; features
Cappelli et al 32; Canada	Psychometric; 3 months	To evaluate the HEADS-ED	Paediatric ED, urban tertiary (60 000)	Assessment/screening HEADS-ED Mnemonic: home, education, activities and peers, drugs and alcohol, suicidality, emotions and behaviour, discharge resources Administered by crisis intervention worker during intake assessment
Donofrio et al 27; USA	Retrospective cohort; 18 months	To assess whether screening laboratory tests obtained to medically clear patients altered management or disposition, or changed length of stay	Paediatric ED, urban level 1 trauma centre (22 000)	Assessment/screening Screening laboratory tests For medical clearance; vis-à-vis routine history taking and physical examination White blood cells and platelet count; levels of haemoglobin, sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, calcium, glucose, total bilirubin, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, and thyroid stimulating hormone; urine pregnancy test; rapid plasma reagent test; urinalysis
Santillanes et al 28; USA	Retrospective cohort; 18 months	To assess the utility of ED medical clearance before transfer of patients on psychiatric holds to inpatient care and to evaluate charges associated with medical clearance	Paediatric ED, urban level 1 trauma centre (22 000)	Assessment/screening Medical clearance procedure History and physical examination Laboratory and/or radiological studies based on physician discretion and requirement of accepting psychiatric facility
Grover and Lee 29; USA	Retrospective cohort; 2 years	To evaluate outcomes associated with a 24-hour/day behavioural health unit parallel to the ED to deliver emergency mental health care	Paediatric ED, urban tertiary (65 000)	Specialised model of care Behavioural health unit Five camera-monitored rooms with recessed and muted lighting, hospital beds with easily removable chairs, door hinges to allow examination room doors to swing in or out, television behind shatterproof glass, mobile equipment, no sinks, bathroom with safety features and alert button instead of pull cord Staffed by registered nurses, mental health technician, social workers, ED physicians
Mahajan et al 30; USA	Before–after; 5 months before and 7 months after	To evaluate the impact of a child guidance model on ED visits	Paediatric ED, urban tertiary (90 000)	Specialised model of care Child guidance model Referral to child guidance team (psychiatric social worker and child psychiatrist) for disposition decision making
Parker et al 26; Canada	Interrupted time series; 46 months	To describe the impact of a rapid response model	General ED, urban (NTD)	Specialised model of care Rapid response model Immediate consultation with child psychiatrist or resident Urgent consultation (reserved appointments) Education
Greenfield et al 31; Canada	Before–after; 1 year before and 3 years after	To determine the impact of an outpatient psychiatric follow-up team on hospitalisation rate	Paediatric ED, urban tertiary (NTD)	Specialised model of care Emergency room follow-up team Patient seen by clinical nurse specialist and child psychiatrist after assessment by ED psychiatric staff Family and psychodynamically oriented treatment

NTD, not able to determine.