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Triage-Based Application of OFAR on the Number of Radiographs Ordered

NCT01779804 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2016-09-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Foot and ankle injuries account for nearly two million visits to Emergency Departments (EDs) in the United States and Canada each year. Of these injured patients, only 15% are diagnosed with actual fractures of the ankle. Due to such a small percentage, the "Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules" (OFAR) were developed, which are a set of clinical decision-making guidelines that have been shown to be effective in diagnosing ankle and foot fractures. These rules are internationally accepted by the medical community, but are inconsistently applied.

At Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), the ED triage nurses are routinely trained in how to use the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules, but the rules are not always applied which may result in unnecessary X-rays. These guidelines are current network "standard of care" (usual, established care) that allow nurses to decide treatment for foot and ankle injury patients; in other words, whether to send these patients for an X-ray or not.

The research staff is conducting this study in order to find out if using these nurse-directed guidelines--on a regular and consistent basis--can decrease the number of X-rays ordered, decrease patient waiting times/length of stay (LOS) and increase patient satisfaction with their care in the ED.

STUDY PURPOSE:

The two main goals of this study are to find out if use of the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules by triage nurses can decrease the amount of X-rays ordered in the ED, as well as LOS.

Secondary study goals are to: 1) see how many X-rays are ordered by physicians and physicians' assistants after patients are evaluated by the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules as not having had a fracture; and 2) evaluate patient and provider satisfaction with the care provided both when the Ottawa Foot and Ankle Rules are used and when they are not.

Conditions

  • Ankle Injuries
  • Foot Injuries

Interventions

PROCEDURE

OFAR

OFAR

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Lehigh Valley Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Marna R Greenberg, DO, MPH · Lehigh Valley Hospital

Eligibility

Min Age
16 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-01-31
Primary Completion
2013-09-30
Completion
2014-06-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01779804 on ClinicalTrials.gov