Doctor and patient episode characteristics
| Full doctor sample (n=41) | |||
| Variable | Level | Value | n (%) miss. |
| Adverse event experienced? (n, %) | Yes | 19 (47.5) | 1 (2.4) |
| No | 21 (52.5) | ||
| Age (Μ, SD) | – | 35.3 (5.7) | 0 |
| Burnout (n, %) | None | 5 (12.5) | 1 (2.4) |
| Some | 26 (65) | ||
| Moderate | 7 (17.5) | ||
| High | 2 (5) | ||
| Confidence (Μ, SD) | – | 3.3 (0.4) | 2 (4.8) |
| ED experience, years (Μ, SD) | – | 8.3 (6.4) | 0 |
| Gender identity (n, %) | Male | 15 (36.6) | 0 |
| Female | 26 (63.4) | ||
| Grade* (n, %) | Specialty trainee year 3 (ST3) | 7 (17.1) | 1 (2.4) |
| ST4 | 10 (24.4) | ||
| ST5 | 4 (9.8) | ||
| ST6 | 7 (17.1) | ||
| Consultant (highest level) | 7 (17.1) | ||
| Other | 6 (14.6) | ||
| Resilience (Μ, SD) | – | 3.3 (0.8) | 1 (2.4) |
| Risk aversion (Μ, SD) | – | 51.5 (21) | 1 (2.4) |
| Site (n, %) | Airedale | 6 (14.6) | – |
| Barnsley | 8 (19.5) | ||
| Bradford | 15 (36.6) | ||
| Leeds | 4 (9.8) | ||
| Sheffield | 8 (19.5) | ||
| Uncertainty tolerance (Μ, SD) | – | 3.6 (0.4) | 0 |
| Weekly A&E hours (Μ, SD) | – | 31.8 (10) | 0 |
| Work-related well-being (Μ, SD) | – | 3.5 (0.4) | 1 (2.4) |
| Patient episode sample (n=384) | |||
| Variable | Level | Value | n (%) miss. |
| Admission (initial) (n, %) | Yes | 100 (26) | 0 |
| No | 284 (74) | ||
| Admission (return, 30 days) (n, %) | 0 | ||
| All | Yes | 29 (7.6) | |
| No | 355 (92.4) | ||
| Related to initial attendance? | Yes | 26 (89.7) | |
| No | 3 (10.3) | ||
| Related: number per patient (Μ, SD) | – | 1.3 (0.6) | |
| Age (Μ, SD) | – | 46.6 (18.8) | 0 |
| ASA score: continuous (Μ, SD) | – | 1.9 (0.9) | 2 (0.5) |
| Case complexity (Μ, SD) | – | 2.9 (0.8) | 3 (0.8) |
| Problem type (primary) (n, %) | Ab pain | 99 (25.8) | 0 |
| Back pain | 33 (11.7) | ||
| Chest pain | 162 (42.2) | ||
| Headache | 36 (9.4) | ||
| Vomiting | 7 (1.8) | ||
| Combo of>1 | 47 (12.2) | ||
| Cost index v1: tests/treat (Μ, SD) | – | £32.3 (48.8) | 0 |
| Cost index v2: +admissions (Μ, SD) | – | £634.9 (1250.5) | 0 |
| Cost index v3: +re att./return admit. (Μ, SD) | – | £854.4 (1583.9) | 0 |
| Death (30-day) (n, %) | |||
| All | Yes | 6 (1.6) | |
| No | 378 (98.4) | ||
| Related to initial attendance? | Yes | 3 (50) | |
| No | 3 (50) | ||
| Diagnosis status discharge (n, %) | Confirmed | 102 (29.6) | 39 (10.2) |
| Suspected | 243 (70.4) | ||
| Discharge location (n, %) | Home | 357 (92.9) | 0 |
| Other | 27 (7.1) | ||
| Gender identity (n, %) | Male | 174 (45.3) | 0 |
| Female | 210 (54.7) | ||
| Hospital stay length in days (Μ, SD) | – | 1.2 (4.3) | 0 |
| If admitted (Μ, SD) | – | 4.5 (7.4) | 0 |
| Mode of arrival (n, %) | Ambulance | 104 (30.4) | 42 (11) |
| Other | 238 (69.6) | ||
| NEWS (Μ, SD) | – | 0.8 (0.9) | 265 (69) |
| NEWS2 (Μ, SD) | – | 1.1 (1.4) | 96 (25) |
| Ordered tests (by doctors) (n, %) | Blood tests | 84 (21.9) | 0 |
| CT | 29 (7.6) | ||
| ECG | 20 (5.2) | ||
| MRI | 1 (0.3) | ||
| USS | 6 (1.6) | ||
| X-ray | 113 (29.4) | ||
| Other | 36 (9.4) | ||
| Possible decision deferral† (n, %) | Yes | 100 (26) | 0 |
| No | 284 (74) | ||
| Reattendance (return, 30-day) (n, %) | 0 | ||
| All | Yes | 61 (15.9) | |
| No | 323 (84.1) | ||
| Related to initial attendance? | Yes | 54 (88.5) | |
| No | 7 (11.5) | ||
| Related: number per patient (Μ, SD) | – | 1.7 (1.9) | |
| Site (n, %) | Airedale | 38 (9.9) | – |
| Barnsley | 86 (22.4) | ||
| Bradford | 139 (36.2) | ||
| Leeds | 41 (10.7) | ||
| Sheffield | 80 (20.8) | ||
| Waiting time hours (initial) (Μ, SD) | – | 2.6 (2.1) | 2 (0.5) |
*Note: In the UK: ST3–ST6: Specialty trainees in years 3–6 after foundational training equivalent to residents or registrars. Consultant: Fully qualified senior specialists similar to attending physicians. Other (eg, specialty doctors, trust grade doctors): For example, doctors not in formal training posts but with comparable experience.
†Defined as any recorded evidence that the treating (ie, patient-matched) doctor conferred with a colleague about patient management decisions (admission, treatments and/or tests). Note, the full (41) and episode-matched (39) doctor samples showed minimal differences.
Ab pain, abdomen pain; A&E, accident and emergency; ASA, American Society of Anaesthesiologists; ED, emergency department; % miss, % missing data; NEWS, National Early Warning Scores; Re-att./rtn admit, 30 day reattendance or admission on return; Μ, mean.