CTAS is a tool that enables Emergency Departments (ED) to:
- Prioritize patient care and access requirements
- Examine patient flow and care processes
- Complement other workload, case mix, and resource requirement measures
The CTAS supports ED nurses and physicians to:
- Triage patients according to acuity, risk, and care needs based on their presenting signs and symptoms
- Ensure that the sickest and highest risk patients are seen first when ED capacity has been exceeded
- Reassess patients required to wait for a treatment space
The CTAS allows ED managers to:
- Capture and analyze ED patient visit based on volume, acuity and by CEDIS presenting complaint
- Determine whether the ED has an operational plan and the resources to meet patient needs
- Assess the ED’s role within the hospital and health care region
The triage level assigned using the CTAS criteria is a mandatory data element to be used in all Canadian Hospital Emergency Departments for reporting to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
