How to Read the NYU-ED algorithm Output file

All three versions of the ED algorithm programming – the Access, SAS, and SPSS versions – will produce a microdata (record-level) file, with one record for each encounter record in your ED database.)

The output microdata file will simply have a new set of variables in addition to your original data set variables. The names of the new variables are:
 • ne = “Non-emergent”
• epct = “Emergent/Primary Care Treatable”
 • edcnpa = “Emergent ED Care Needed Preventable/Avoidable”
 • edcnnpa = “Emergent ED Care Needed Not Preventable/Avoidable”
 • injury = “Injury principal diagnoses”
 • psych = “Mental health principal diagnoses”
• alcohol = “Alcohol-related health principal diagnoses”
 • drug = “Drug-related health principal diagnoses (excluding alcohol)”
 • unclassified = “Not classified - not in one of the above categories”
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New York University Emergency Department visit severity algorithm

For each ED encounter, the numbers in the new fields represent the relative percentage of cases for that diagnosis falling into the various classification categories.

For example, in the case of urinary tract infections (ICD-9-CM code 599.0), each case is assigned 66% “non-emergent”, 17% “emergent/primary care treatable”, and 17% “emergent - ED care needed - preventable/avoidable”. The sum of the values in the new data fields will always total 1, and the injury, psych, alcohol, drug, and unclassified fields are always binary (equal to 1 or 0).