Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) - Evaluation of a Novel Approach to Address Emergency Department Overcrowding

University of Alberta

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 4

Conditions

Acute Illness

Treatments

Behavioral: Clinical Decision Unit

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00497393

B-130607

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized controlled trial will introduce a Clinical Decision Unit (CDU) into the University of Alberta Hospital Emergency Department(ED)and assess the influence on ED length of stay, patients who leave without being seen, and other ED Overcrowding outcomes.

Full description

The study will take place over a 6-week period that will be spilt into three-two-week blocks. Using computerized blocks of 2 weeks, days of the week will be randomly allocated so that each day of the week receives one intervention (CDU) and one control day for the study period. The CDU involves transforming an ED bed location to a 6-chair internal waiting room with 2 adjacent beds assigned to act as assessment and treatment locations. Patients will transition between the chair and stretcher to optimize the use of ED space.

Enrollment

6,217 patients

Sex

All

Ages

17+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Only adult patients (>17 years of age) presenting to the University of Alberta Hospital Emergency Department (UAH ED), during the study interval will be included in the evaluation.

Exclusion criteria