Effectiveness of Nurse Led Triage Interventions on Patient Outcomes in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

Karami, Fatemeh

doi:10.22034/mphrj.2026.585044.1090

Effectiveness of Nurse Led Triage Interventions on Patient Outcomes in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

Document Type : Systematic Review

Author

Fatemeh Karami

Instructor, Department of Nursing, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran MSc in Emergency Nursing, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/mphrj.2026.585044.1090

Abstract

Background: Emergency department (ED) crowding compromises timely care and patient safety. Nurse led triage interventions, including physician led triage, triage liaison providers, and advanced triage protocols, have implemented to improve patient flow, but their overall effectiveness on patient outcomes remains uncertain.

Objective: To synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of nurse led triage interventions on critical patient outcomes in EDs.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science from inception to March 2026 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and high quality quasi experimental studies comparing nurse led triage interventions with conventional triage. Primary outcomes were ED length of stay (LOS), left without being seen (LWBS) rates, and mortality. Random effects meta analyses performed. Certainty of evidence assessed using GRADE.

Results: Twelve studies (N=12,847 patients) met inclusion criteria. Nurse led triage interventions significantly reduced ED LOS (SMD = –0.68; 95% CI: –0.85 to –0.51; p<0.001), decreased LWBS rates (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.69; p<0.001), and lowered in ED mortality (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.85; p=0.003). Heterogeneity was moderate to high (I²=58–72%).

Conclusion: Nurse led triage interventions are associated with clinically meaningful improvements in ED operational and safety outcomes. Implementation of advanced nurse led triage models prioritised to reduce crowding and improve patient outcomes.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Nurse led triage

emergency department

patient outcomes

waiting times

systematic review

Subjects

AI Research

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