Patient burden at hospital emergency departments according to triage categories

Povećanjem broja pacijenata i njihovim zahtjevima hitna služba se susreće s preopterećenošću pacijenatima koji ne zahtjevaju hitno zbrinjavanje. Trijaža je proces kojim započinje zbrinjavanje pacijenata u hitnom prijemu. Pacijenti se javljaju trijažnoj sestri koja određuje trijažnu kategoriju odnosno stupanj hitnosti. U svijetu se koriste razni alati prilikom trijažnog procesa. Hrvatska je preuzela model iz australije – Australoazijsku trijažnu ljestvicu koju medicinska sestra /tehničar koristi u svome radu. Uvođenjem bolničkog informacijskog sustava omogučilo nam se praćenje i analiza raznih skupova podataka koji nam pomažu u poboljšanju i unapređenju trijažnog procesa. U ovom istraživanju retrospektivno su prikupljeni podaci u vremenskom period od 1.listopada 2013. godine do 30.travnja 2017. godine. Ukupan broj pregledanih pacijenata je iznosio 331 012. Postavili smo nekoliko ciljeva te analizom podataka dobili smo zanimljive rezultate. Objedinjeni hitni prijem je najviše opterećen trećom i četvrtom trijažnom kategorijom čak 92%. Utvrdili smo da nema značajnije statističke razlike između pregledanih pacijenata tijekom radnih dana u tjednu i dana vikendom oko 14 %. Broj pacijenata koji su sami (78 %) stigli u OHBP znatno je prednjačio naspram broju onih koji su došli hitnom medicinskom pomoći (16%). Prema djelatnostima gotovo isti broj pacijenata je bio zbrinut na kirurškoj i internoj djelatnosti 30%, a i ostale djelatnosti su imale podjednak broj pregledanih pacijenata (cca 12%). Priljev pacijenata koji zahtjevaju zbrinjavanje u primarnoj zdravstvenoj zaštiti znatno utječe na kvalitetu skrbi istih te njihovu sigurnost i ishod liječenja.The increase of the number of patients and their needs faced the emergency room with overload of patients who require emergency care. Triage is the primary process in the emergency care. Patients contact the triage nurse who determines the triage category or the emergency level. Worldwide, various tools are used in triage process. Croatia took the Australian model - Australasian triage scale that is used by the medical staff. Installation of the hospital information system enabled the track and analysis of various data that help to improve and develop triage process. The data for this research has been gathered retrospectively from October 1, 2013 to April 30, 2017. Total number of patients was 331 012. Few aims were set and the analysis gave some interesting results. Integrated emergency reception is mostly filled with patients from third and fourth triage category. 92% of the patients are part of these two categories. It was observed that there is no significant statistical difference between the patients examined during the working days and those examined during the weekend (they made about 14% of all the patients). The number of patients who arrived to OHBP (United Emergency Patient Reception) on their own (78%) was significantly larger than the number of patients taken in by the ambulance (16%). Based on the activity, the same number of patients was taken care of in both surgical and internal department and other departments had about the same number of patients examined (about 12%). The amount of patients who require care in primary health care significantly influences the quality of care as well as their safety and treatment