Fast Track: urgent care within a teaching hospital emergency department: can it work? 1988

H W Meislin, and S A Coates, and J Cyr, and T Valenzuela
Department of Surgery, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson 85724.

We performed a ten-week study to understand the feasibility of a fast track system within a teaching hospital setting. Our results show that 50% or fewer of patients entering an emergency department during evening and weekend day hours can be seen in Fast Track. Average turnaround time for all patients in the ED was 161 minutes. The average for all Fast Track patients was 94.5 minutes; if laboratory and/or radiographs were ordered the average was 121.5 minutes; with no laboratory/radiographs, 79.1 minutes. Urinalysis, strep screen, and complete blood count accounted for 80% of all laboratory work. Roentgenograms of the ankle, foot, and knee accounted for 80% of all radiographs. An evaluation questionnaire showed enhanced satisfaction with a reduction in the number of complaints from 79% to 22%. The Fast Track system failed when there was a predominance of acutely ill patients in the ED, as house officers were pulled to care for the acutely ill patients.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003258 Consumer Behavior Behavior associated with the procurement of goods, services, or experiences. Consumer Preference,Consumer Satisfaction,Behavior, Consumer,Behaviors, Consumer,Consumer Behaviors,Consumer Preferences,Preference, Consumer,Preferences, Consumer,Satisfaction, Consumer
D004636 Emergency Service, Hospital Hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of immediate medical or surgical care to the emergency patient. Emergency Outpatient Unit,Emergency Services Utilization,Hospital Emergency Room,Hospital Emergency Service,Hospital Emergency Services Utilization,Accident and Emergency Department,Emergency Departments,Emergency Hospital Service,Emergency Room,Emergency Units,Emergency Ward,Hospital Service Emergency,Service, Hospital Emergency,Department, Emergency,Departments, Emergency,Emergencies, Hospital Service,Emergency Department,Emergency Hospital Services,Emergency Outpatient Units,Emergency Room, Hospital,Emergency Rooms,Emergency Rooms, Hospital,Emergency Services, Hospital,Emergency Unit,Emergency Wards,Emergency, Hospital Service,Hospital Emergency Rooms,Hospital Emergency Services,Hospital Service Emergencies,Hospital Service, Emergency,Hospital Services, Emergency,Outpatient Unit, Emergency,Outpatient Units, Emergency,Room, Emergency,Room, Hospital Emergency,Rooms, Emergency,Rooms, Hospital Emergency,Service Emergencies, Hospital,Service Emergency, Hospital,Service, Emergency Hospital,Services Utilization, Emergency,Services Utilizations, Emergency,Services, Emergency Hospital,Services, Hospital Emergency,Unit, Emergency,Unit, Emergency Outpatient,Units, Emergency,Units, Emergency Outpatient,Utilization, Emergency Services,Ward, Emergency,Wards, Emergency
D006785 Hospitals, University Hospitals maintained by a university for the teaching of medical students, postgraduate training programs, and clinical research. University Hospitals
D001130 Arizona State of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA bounded on the east by New Mexico, on the north by Utah, on the west by Nevada and California, and on the south by Mexico.
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor

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