Background: Evaluation of emergency department (ED) performance remains a difficult task due to the lack of\r\nconsensus on performance measures that reflects high quality, efficiency, and sustainability.\r\nAim: To describe, map, and critically evaluate which performance measures that the published literature regard as\r\nbeing most relevant in assessing overall ED performance.\r\nMethods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review of review articles reporting accentuated\r\nED performance measures was conducted in the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.\r\nStudy eligibility criteria includes: 1) the main purpose was to discuss, analyse, or promote performance measures\r\nbest reflecting ED performance, 2) the article was a review article, and 3) the article reported macro-level\r\nperformance measures, thus reflecting an overall departmental performance level.\r\nResults: A number of articles addresses this studyââ?¬â?¢s objective (n = 14 of 46 unique hits). Time intervals and patientrelated\r\nmeasures were dominant in the identified performance measures in review articles from US, UK, Sweden\r\nand Canada. Length of stay (LOS), time between patient arrival to initial clinical assessment, and time between\r\npatient arrivals to admission were highlighted by the majority of articles. Concurrently, ââ?¬Å?patients left without being\r\nseenââ?¬Â (LWBS), unplanned re-attendance within a maximum of 72 hours, mortality/morbidity, and number of\r\nunintended incidents were the most highlighted performance measures that related directly to the patient.\r\nPerformance measures related to employees were only stated in two of the 14 included articles.\r\nConclusions: A total of 55 ED performance measures were identified. ED time intervals were the most\r\nrecommended performance measures followed by patient centeredness and safety performance measures. ED\r\nemployee related performance measures were rarely mentioned in the investigated literature. The studyââ?¬â?¢s results\r\nallow for advancement towards improved performance measurement and standardised assessment across EDs.
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