Effect of Using Triage Patient Guidelines in Accident and Emergency Unit, Khuntan Hospital, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

         This quasi-experimental research aimed to compare the results of the accuracy of patient triage and the level of satisfaction of professional nurses who use the triage patient guideline at the accident and emergency unit, Khuntan Hospital, Chiang Rai Province, from November 2023 to February 2024. The sample consisted of 2 groups; the 1st  group consisted of 6 registered nurses working in the Emergency and Forensic Accident Department of Khun Tan Hospital, and the 2nd group was patients who receive services at the Emergency Accident and Forensic Nursing Department. Khun Tan Hospital, before and after using the guidelines, had 375 patients per group, medical records per group at the Accident and Emergency Department, Khuntan Hospital, compared to before and after the implementation of triage patient guidelines. The research instrument was the MOPH ED.triage. The data collection instrument was the triage outcome recode satisfaction assessment form. Descriptive statistics and a Chi-Square test were used for data analysis.

           The study result revealed that the sample was 100 percent female with an average age of 31 years, 100 percent graduated with bachelor’s degrees, and had an average experience in accident and emergency units of 7.85 years. The accuracy after using the triage patient guideline (90.40%) was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that before (53.87%). Professional nurses' satisfaction with the use of triage patient guidelines was found to average 4.83 points at the highest level. This study indicated that the triage patient guideline can improve the accuracy of patient triage and should be promoted for continued use.