A time‐motion study on impact of spatial separation for empiric airborne precautions in emergency department length of stay

Abstract Aims To evaluate the impact of spatial separation on patient flow in the emergency department. Design This was a retrospective, time‐and‐motion analysis conducted from 15 to 22 August, 2022 at the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During this duration, spatial separation was implemented in critical and semi‐critical zones to separate patients with symptoms of respiratory infections into respiratory area, and patients without into non‐respiratory area. This study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Methods Patients triaged to critical and semi‐critical zones were included in this study. Timestamps of patient processes in emergency department until patient departure were documented. Results The emergency department length‐of‐stay was longer in respiratory area compared to non‐respiratory area; 527 min (381–698) versus 390 min (285–595) in critical zone and 477 min (312–739) versus 393 min (264–595) in semi‐critical zone. In critical zone, time intervals of critical flow processes and compliance to hospital benchmarks were similar in both areas. More patients in respiratory area were managed within the arrival‐to‐contact ≤30 min benchmark and more patients in non‐respiratory area had emergency department length‐of‐stay ≤8 h. Conclusions The implementation of spatial separation in infection control should address decision‐to‐departure delays to minimise emergency department length of stay. Impact The study evaluated the impact of spatial separation on patient flow in the emergency department. Emergency department length‐of‐stay was significantly prolonged in the respiratory area. Hospital administrators and policymakers can optimise infection control protocols measures in emergency departments, balancing infection control measures with efficient patient care delivery.Reporting Method STROBE guidelines. No Patient or Public Contribution None. Trial and Protocol Registration The study obtained ethics approval from the institution's Medical Ethics Committee (MREC ID NO: 20221113–11727). Statistical Analysis The author has checked and make sure our submission has conformed to the Journal's statistical guideline. There is a statistician on the author team (Noor Azhar).