Time patients spend in the emergency department: England's 4-hour rule-a case of hitting the target but missing the point?

Abstract

The introduction of a time target reduced the proportion of patients staying greater than 4 hours.

More patients departed within 20 minutes of the target 4-hour interval after the mandate, notably, the elderly.

Full Text

• DOI - Annals of emergency medicine (DOI)
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Subjects

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Emergency Service, Hospital
• England
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Length of Stay
• Male
• Mandatory Programs
• Middle Aged
• Patient Admission
• Retrospective Studies
• Time Factors
• Young Adult

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Authors

• Suzanne Mason
• Ellen J Weber
• Joanne Coster
• Jennifer Freeman
• Thomas Locker

Publication date

2012-04-24

Journal

Journal topics

• Emergency Medicine

Language

Eng.

Copyright

Annals of emergency medicine

University of Sheffield, School of Health and Related Research, Sheffield, England, UK. s.mason [at] sheffield.ac.uk

Release reference

Ann Emerg Med. 2012 May;59(5):341-9

Related books

• Books of Age Factors
• Books of Emergency Medicine
• Books of Emergency Service, Hospital
• Books of England
• Books of Length of Stay
• Books of Mandatory Programs
• Books of Patient Admission
• Books of Retrospective Studies
• Books of Time Factors