CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Statement of purpose
The purposes of this chapter are to:
• Provide an overview of the triage education program and emphasise its role in optimising triage consistency throughout Australia; and
• Discuss the purpose of triage systems in the context of acute health care delivery.
Learning outcomes
After completing this chapter, participants will have a clear understanding of the triage education program’ s purpose and structure and how the content may be applied in their work environment.
Participants will also develop an appreciation of the national and international developments that form the basis of emergency department( ED) triage in Australia. They will also be able to identify factors influencing consistency of triage in that context.
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Learning objectives
• State the aims and purpose of ED triage systems.
• Differentiate the purpose of military and disaster triage systems from ED triage systems.
• Define‘ urgency’.
• Make a distinction between the concepts of urgency, severity and complexity of illness and injury.
• Compare and contrast the basic categories of the Australasian Triage Scale( ATS) with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale( CTAS), the Manchester Triage Scale( MTS), and the Emergency Severity Index( ESI).
• Identify the four essential features of a robust triage scale and discuss these with respect to the ATS.
Key points
• A triage system is the essential structure by which all incoming emergency patients are prioritised using a standard rating scale. The purpose of a triage system is to ensure that the level of emergency care provided is commensurate with clinical criteria.
•‘ Urgency’ is determined according to the patient’ s condition on arrival at the ED.
• A five-tier triage scale is a valid and reliable method for categorising ED patients.
• This program forms part of a national strategy aimed at optimising consistency of triage using the ATS.
Department of Health and Ageing – Emergency Triage Education Kit