Summary
PROJECT SUMMARY Up to 16% of patients hospitalized with acute heart and lung diseases will die during their hospitalization. Mortality is up to three times higher when patients who need ICU-level care are initially triaged to a general care ward. Even after triage decisions are made, prolonged emergency department (ED) stays while awaiting an inpatient bed are increasingly common and associated with poorer outcomes for patients requiring time- sensitive or complex care. Yet, processes for ICU triage (“where should a patient be admitted”) and inpatient bed assignment (“when should they be trans
