HKS Authors

See citation below for complete author information.

Abstract

We compare emergency department (ED) operational metrics obtained in the first year of a rotational patient assignment system (in which patients are assigned to physicians automatically according to an algorithm) with those obtained in the last year of a traditional physician self-assignment system (in which physicians assigned themselves to patients at physician discretion). This was a pre-post retrospective study of patients at a single ED with no financial incentives for physician productivity. Metrics of interest were length of stay; arrival-to-provider time; rates of left before being seen, left subsequent to being seen, early returns (within 72 hours), and early returns with admission; and complaint ratio.

Citation

Traub, Stephen J., Christopher F. Stewart, Roshanak Didehban, Adam C. Bartley, Soroush Saghafian, Vernon D. Smith, Scott M. Silvers, Ryan LeCheminant, and Christopher A. Lipinski. "Emergency Department Rotational Patient Assignment." Annals of Emergency Medicine 67.2 (February 2016): 206-215.