Table 3.
Factors associated with potential under-triage: mixed effects regression modelling results
| Model 1: Odds of potential under-triage, where secondary triage > = care within 24 h selected, and patient subsequently assessed as requiring immediate or very urgent emergency care in ED | Model 2: Odds of potential under-triage, where secondary triage > = care within 24 h selected in patients subsequently admitted for inpatient care | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR (95% CI) | Joint p -value | OR (95% CI) | Joint p -value | ||||
| Sex | |||||||
| Male | 1.09 (0.87–1.35) | 0.455 | 0.98 (0.86–1.12) | 0.784 | |||
| Female | Ref | ref | |||||
| Main presenting symptom | Main presenting symptom | ||||||
| Abdominal pain | Ref | Abdominal pain | ref | ||||
| High Temperature | 1.66 (1.01–2.73) | High Temperature | 1.25 (0.93–1.68) | ||||
| Cough | 1.51 (0.90–2.53) | Cough | 1.33 (0.97–1.82) | ||||
| Breathlessness | 0.90 (0.52–1.55) | Vomiting | 0.95 (0.68–1.35) | ||||
| Rash | 0.90 (0.49–1.67) | Rash | 1.24 (0.84–1.82) | ||||
| Chest Pain | 0.71 (0.37–1.36) | Breathlessness | 0.58 (0.40–0.84) | ||||
| Vomiting | 0.99 (0.50–1.98) | 0.020 | Unwell | 1.10 (0.74–1.64) | < 0.001 | ||
| Unwell | 1.25 (0.58–2.70) | Urinary Symptoms | 1.49 (1.00–2.23) | ||||
| Palpitations | 0.57 (0.23–1.41) | Diarrhoea | 1.81 (1.18–2.76) | ||||
| Back pain | 1.06 (0.43–2.60) | Back pain | 1.32 (0.87–1.99) | ||||
| Other | 1.41 (0.94–2.11) | Other | 1.33 (1.10–1.62) | ||||
| IMD Decile | |||||||
| 1 (most deprived) | 0.75 (0.47–1.22) | 0.78 (0.58–1.03) | |||||
| 2 | 0.81 (0.48–1.37) | 0.81 (0.60–1.10) | |||||
| 3 | 0.82 (0.48–1.39) | 0.78 (0.57–1.07) | |||||
| 4 | 0.77 (0.44–1.34) | 0.88 (0.63–1.23) | |||||
| 5 | 0.65 (0.35–1.19) | 0.968 | 0.89 (0.63–1.26) | 0.601 | |||
| 6 | Ref | ref | |||||
| 7 | 0.67 (0.34–1.33) | 0.79 (0.54–1.13) | |||||
| 8 | 0.71 (0.37–1.37) | 0.92 (0.65–1.30) | |||||
| 9 | 0.72 (0.35–1.46) | 1.03 (0.71–1.50) | |||||
| 10 (least deprived) | 0.85 (0.40–1.77) | 0.88 (0.58–1.34) | |||||
| Age Group | |||||||
| Infancy - under 24 months | 1.14 (0.67–1.92) | 1.19 (0.88–1.61) | |||||
| 2–4 (young child) | 1.48 (0.86–2.55) | 1.16 (0.82–1.64) | |||||
| 5–15 (child) | 1.19 (0.68–2.08) | 1.07 (0.77–1.50) | |||||
| 16–24 (young adult) | 1.32 (0.75–2.33) | 0.90 (0.65–1.26) | |||||
| 25–34 | 0.77 (0.44–1.36) | 0.87 (0.64–1.19) | |||||
| 35–44 | 1.27 (0.69–2.33) | 0.1419 | 1.03 (0.73–1.46) | 0.0169 | |||
| 45–54 | Ref | ref | |||||
| 55–64 | 0.96 (0.53–1.73) | 0.79 (0.56–1.10) | |||||
| 65–74 | 0.85 (0.46–1.55) | 0.89 (0.65–1.23) | |||||
| 75–84 | 0.71 (0.39–1.30) | 0.72 (0.53–0.99) | |||||
| 85 and over | 0.83 (0.44–1.54) | 0.76 (0.55–1.06) | |||||
| Service | |||||||
| Service 1 | 3.21 (2.09–4.93) | 2.45 (1.76–3.42) | |||||
| Service 2 | 7.14 (3.74–13.63) | < 0.001 | 5.61 (3.36–9.36) | < 0.001 | |||
| Service 3 | Ref | ref | |||||
| Day of Week | |||||||
| Sunday | 0.60 (0.40–0.90) | 0.94 (0.73–1.22) | |||||
| Monday | 0.74 (0.46–1.19) | 1.44 (1.08–1.93) | |||||
| Tuesday | 1.22 (0.76–1.95) | 1.37 (1.02–1.85) | |||||
| Wednesday | Ref | 0.008 | ref | 0.009 | |||
| Thursday | 1.07 (0.68–1.67) | 1.27 (0.95–1.70) | |||||
| Friday | 0.68 (0.42–1.10) | 1.14 (0.85–1.54) | |||||
| Saturday | 0.63 (0.42–0.95) | 1.03 (0.80–1.33) | |||||
| Call Time Period | |||||||
| 24:00–06:00 | 1.35 (0.89–2.05) | 1.71 (1.32–2.21) | |||||
| 06:00–12:00 | 1.30 (0.91–1.85) | 0.018 | 1.39 (1.13–1.70) | < 0.001 | |||
| 12:00–18:00 | Ref | ref | |||||
| 18:00–24:00 | 0.86 (0.62–1.21) | 1.16 (0.95–1.42) | |||||
| Call minute category | |||||||
| 0–5 min | 1.01 (0.67–1.53) | 1.66 (1.30–2.11) | |||||
| 5–10 min | 1.00 (0.74–1.33) | 1.01 (0.85–1.20) | |||||
| 10–15 min | Ref | 0.208 | ref | < 0.001 | |||
| 15–20 min | 0.96 (0.68–1.35) | 0.97 (0.80–1.19) | |||||
| Over 20 min | 0.67 (0.47–0.96) | 0.83 (0.67–1.04) | |||||
| Calls by user category | |||||||
| Under 200 | 0.97 (0.45–2.10) | 1.22 (0.74–2.00) | |||||
| 200–1000 | 1.20 (0.79–1.82) | 0.92 (0.63–1.34) | |||||
| 1000–1800 | Ref | 0.060 | ref | 0.107 | |||
| 1800–2500 | 1.36 (0.84–2.19) | 1.25 (0.79–1.98) | |||||
| 2500+ | 2.36 (1.33–4.19) | 1.73 (1.04–2.88) | |||||
| Clinician conducting triage | 7.72 | 16.15 | |||||