CTAS - Official Version 2.0.1

This is the official application of the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), developed collaboratively by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), the National Emergency Nurses' Affiliation, and other partnering organizations.

The application is available in English or French, depending on the language settings of the user's device. Devices configured outside of these languages will default to the English version. Revenue generated from app sales supports ongoing development and enhancement of CTAS resources and educational materials.

Designed to guide healthcare professionals, the application facilitates systematic assessment of patient complaints, assisting nurses and physicians in assigning appropriate acuity levels using complaint-oriented triage lists and modifiers. All necessary lists, definitions, and data are stored locally within the app, eliminating the need for an internet connection.

Utilizing this official tool ensures that clinicians are applying the most up-to-date and accurate version of CTAS as maintained by the National Working Group. This standardization enhances consistency and reliability in triage decision-making.

Accurate triage directly impacts patient care by prioritizing those requiring immediate attention while also providing benchmarking against other facilities in terms of acuity and volume. The CTAS has been adopted internationally as a framework for establishing patient priority in emergency settings.

The Canadian Triage & Acuity Scale (CTAS) is a critical resource for Emergency Departments (ED) to:

• Prioritize individual patient care requirements
• Evaluate departmental processes, workload, and resource allocation in relation to case mix and community health needs

Specifically, CTAS enables ED clinicians to:

• Triage patients based on presenting signs and symptoms, considering their severity
• Ensure that critically ill patients are seen promptly, especially during times when ED capacity is stretched or access to other services is limited
• Reassess patient needs throughout their stay in the ED to adjust care as necessary

For ED administrators, CTAS provides tools to:

• Analyze patient volume and acuity patterns within their facilities
• Evaluate if operational plans and resources align with patient demand
• Assess their department’s role within the broader hospital and regional healthcare infrastructure

The triage level assigned according to CTAS criteria is a mandated data element for all Canadian hospital emergency departments reporting to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

It is recommended that healthcare providers receive formal training on CTAS application within clinical practice prior to utilization of this mobile tool, ensuring informed and accurate clinical decision-making.