Development of an In‐Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio for Emergency Department Sensitive Conditions

Abstract

Healthcare systems in developed countries are grappling with emergency department (ED) overcrowding. Although a prominent issue yielding many related metrics, accessibility is only one dimension by which to measure ED performance. To gain a broader understanding of healthcare performance and to adequately measure it in the ED setting, a more comprehensive approach is required. If valuable process and timeline indicators have to be closely linked with patients’ outcomes, the outcomes themselves must also be measured. In direct response to this challenge, this thesis project aimed to develop and validate an in-hospital standardized mortality ratio specific to emergency sensitive conditions as one tool for measuring ED care performance.