Designing cross-sectional studies in the emergency department : lessons from Dr. Google in the ED /
Research within an emergency department setting has many inherent challenges, including the complexity and variability of emergency admissions both medically and logistically. Studies must be conducted in parallel with urgent clinical management while not impeding strict time-based targets, which ar...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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London :
SAGE Publications Ltd,
2020.
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| Series: | SAGE Research Methods Cases : Medicine and Health.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | Research within an emergency department setting has many inherent challenges, including the complexity and variability of emergency admissions both medically and logistically. Studies must be conducted in parallel with urgent clinical management while not impeding strict time-based targets, which are associated with increased hospital mortality, increased ambulance ramping, and reduced patient satisfaction. The most effective way to perform cross-sectional research in this setting is through independent researchers approaching patients in the clinical area after their initial medical consultation to issue methodically structured questionnaires for patients to independently complete during their stay across multiple sites, days, and times. Quantitative data are more easily recorded in emergency research, as it is logistically challenging to facilitate the structured recorded interviews required of qualitative research in this setting. The period after the initial medical assessment is the ideal time to recruit patients as they are less anxious, have privacy, have symptomatic relief, and are unlikely to move within in the department, with researchers unlikely to be interrupted by staff or affect Australasian Triage Score (ATS) and emergency treatment performance (ETP) targets. Clinical areas should be patrolled in order of where patients are most likely to be discharged or admitted from fastest to prevent missed patients and ensure a high participation rate. Finally, research generally requires multiple sites for generalizability due to varying catchment populations and specialities of each department such as maternity, pediatrics, and trauma. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource : illustrations. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781529735185 1529735181 |