Utilization of an Electronic Triage System by Emergency Department Nurses

Introduction: Emergency departments use triage systems to prioritize patients according to the severity of their condition. The Electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (E-CTAS) is a popular system that categorizes patients into five levels to manage patient flow and prioritize patient access to health-care services. Methods: We assessed the factors that influence E-CTAS usage in emergency departments in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Seventy-one nurses were included from two emergency departments that adopted E-CTAS. We used the technology acceptance model (TAM) to assess the influencing factors. The TAM was reliable in the study setting (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87). Results: All of the TAM domains were significantly related to the usage of E-CTAS: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, importance of training, social influence, behavior intention, and attitude. We also showed that E-CTAS use significantly increased with years of experience and training. Discussion: Many factors influenced the use of this electronic triage system. Focusing on these factors in future electronic triage system implementations might increase the hospital staff's compliance, thus improving accuracy and better organizing the patient flow in emergency departments.