Over-, Undertriage in ED Common for Children With Behavioral Health Symptoms

THURSDAY, March 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Overtriage is common among children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with behavioral health symptoms, according to a study published online March 24 in JAMA Network Open.Jennifer A. Hoffmann, M.D., from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues examined the frequency of overtriage and undertriage among children presenting to the ED with behavioral health symptoms in a retrospective cross-sectional study performed in 15 U.S. EDs.The analysis included 78,411 ED visits by children and adolescents with a behavioral health chief concern. The researchers found that of the 74,564 visits with nonmissing data, 34.4, 57.1, and 8.5 percent were appropriately triaged, overtriaged, and undertriaged, respectively. The adjusted odds of overtriage were higher for visits by children aged 5 to 9 years versus those aged 10 to 14 years and for visits by non-Hispanic Black versus non-Hispanic White patients (adjusted odds ratios, 4.43 and 1.17, respectively). The adjusted odds of undertriage were higher for visits by Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black versus non-Hispanic White patients (adjusted odds ratios, 1.46 and 1.28, respectively) and for those with a Spanish versus English language preference (adjusted odds ratio, 1.31)."Underlying drivers for inequities in triage may include implicit bias, which refers to unconscious stereotypes or attitudes," Hoffman said in a statement. "Clinicians need education on recognizing their own biases, in order to avoid undue influence on the care they provide. Using automated tools or artificial intelligence to augment the nurse's assignment of triage scores might help achieve a more objective assessment, although these strategies require further testing."One author disclosed ties to Abbott Laboratories.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Over-, Undertriage in ED Common for Children With Behavioral Health Symptoms

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