The effects of patient triage management strategies on clinical outcomes and risk management in emergency departments: a prospective comparative study

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the impact of the emergency severity index (ESI) and the Manchester triage system (MTS) on clinical outcomes, patients' satisfaction, and risk management using a prospective approach. Methods: In this study, which includes 12,000 patients who visited the emergency department of Esenyurt Necmi Kadıoğlu State Hospital between September 1, 2024, 2024, and October 15, 2024, 6,000 patients were triaged using the ESI, and 6,000 patients were triaged using the MTS. The study was conducted by randomly selecting patients between the ages of 18-85 who were visiting the emergency department for the first time. Data were collected using the observations of healthcare personnel, electronic health system data, and patient admission records. The primary variables include treatment times, clinical outcomes, resource utilization in the emergency department, and patient waiting times. Surveys were used to measure patients' satisfaction, and medical inaccuracies were evaluated based on error reports and inconsistencies in medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software, applying independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses. Results: It was found that patients triaged using the ESI had significantly lower waiting times compared to those triaged using the MTS (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.50-0.85, p