Specifications Manual for Joint Commission National Quality Measures (v2018A)
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Release Notes:
Data Element
Version 2018A

Data Element Name: ED Departure Date
Collected For: ASR-OP-2
Definition:The month, day, and year at which the patient departed from the emergency department.
Suggested Data Collection Question:What is the date the patient departed from the emergency department?
Format:
Length:10 — MM-DD-YYYY (includes dashes) or UTD
Type:Date
Occurs:1
Allowable Values:

Enter the documented date of the ED Departure
MM = Month (01-12)
DD = Day (01-31
YYYY = Year (20xx)
UTD = Unable to Determine
Notes for Abstraction:
  • The medical record must be abstracted as documented (taken at “face value”). When the date documented is obviously in error (not a valid format/range or outside of the parameters of care [after the Discharge Date]) and no other documentation is found that provides this information, the abstractor should select “UTD”."
    Examples:
    • Documentation indicates the ED Departure Date was 03-42-20xx. No other documentation in the list of ONLY ACCEPTABLE SOURCES provides a valid date. Since the ED Departure Date is outside of the range listed in the Allowable Values for “Day”, it is not a valid date and the abstractor should select “UTD”."
    • Patient expires on 02-12-20xx and all documentation within the ONLY ACCEPTABLE SOURCES indicates the ED Departure Date was 03-12-20xx. Other documentation in the medical record supports the date of death as being accurate. Since the ED Depature Date is after the Discharge Date (death), it is outside of the parameter of care and the abstractor should select “UTD”."
      Note: Transmission of a case with an invalid date as described above will be rejected from the QIO Clinical Warehouse and the Joint Commission's Data Warehouse. Use of “UTD” for ED Departure Date allows the case to be accepted into the warehouse.
  • If the date the patient departed is unable to be determined from medical record documentation, select “UTD”."
  • If the date of departure is not documented, but you are able to determine the date from other documentation this is acceptable (e.g., you are able to identify from documentation the patient arrived and was transferred on the same day).
  • If there is documentation the patient left against medical advice and it cannot be determined what time the patient left against medical advice, select “UTD”."
  • For patients who are placed into observation services, use the date of the physician/APN/PA order for observation services as the ED Departure Date .
  • The intent of this guidance is to abstract the date that the patient is no longer under the care of the ED. When a patient is placed into observation, their clinical workflow may vary from patients who are not placed into observation prior to departure from the ED, so the observation order may be used instead of the actual ED Departure Date .
  • If there is a discharge date listed on a disposition sheet this may be abstracted as ED Departure Date .
  • The inclusion and exclusion lists are not to be considered comprehensive lists of inclusions and exclusions.
Suggested Data Sources:

ONLY ACCEPTABLE SOURCES:
  • Emergency department record
Additional Notes:
Guidelines for Abstraction:
Inclusion Exclusion
  • ED Departure Date
  • ED Discharge Date
  • ED Leave Date
  • Disposition Date

ED Departure Date
Specifications Manual for Joint Commission National Quality Measures (v2018A)
Discharges 07-01-18 (3Q18) through 12-31-18 (4Q18)
Questions? Ask Question to Joint Commission staff Copyright © 2018 by The Joint Commission.
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