Karen Clark and Loretta Normile describe the approach of analysis of variables for outcomes research. The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of interventions in the emergency department on outcomes of hospitalisation for cases admitted to intensive care directly from an emergency department

This article describes an exploratory analysis approach to studying processes in an emergency department (ED) for time-based interventions implemented on outcomes of a hospitalisation for critical care admissions originating from the ED. Processes and interventions not only affect the length of stay in the ED before disposition, but also help with admissions to an inpatient bed. These factors also have an impact on outcomes of a given hospital stay.