Characteristics of participating EDs
| Characteristics | Improved sites | Non-improved sites |
|---|---|---|
| Number of patient charts | 4319 | 4498 |
| Number of EDs | 11 | 13 |
| Number of teaching EDs | 2 | 1 |
| Number of cases, mean (SD) | ||
| AMI | 118 (14) | 104 (0) |
| Asthma | 123 (11) | 106 (0) |
| Adult fracture | 92 (1) | 78 (0) |
| Paediatric fracture | 60 (17) | 58 (0) |
| Fiscal year 2008 ED length of stay (h)*, median (IQR) | 4.2 (2.4–7.2) | 3.6 (2.1–6.0) |
| Fiscal year 2008 time to physician assessment (h)*†, median (IQR) | 1.8 (0.8–3.3) | 1.5 (0.8–2.7) |
| Average annual ED volume, mean (SD) | 53 657 (16 160) | 53 958 (11 149) |
| Relative change in median ED length of stay (%)*, range | −26% to −15% | 0% to 47% |
| Absolute change in median ED length of stay (min)*, range | −63 to −37 | 0 to 91 |
*Calculated for all ED patients.
†Calculated from triage or registration (whichever was earlier) to initial physician assessment.
AMI, acute myocardial infarction; ED, emergency department.