Disposition disparities in an urban tertiary emergency department

OBJECTIVE: To explore disparities between Māori and non‐Māori patients with respect to triage acuity and disposition based on presenting complaint. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 5788 (n = 594 Māori, n = 5194 non‐Māori) ED visits in February 2021, extracted from the hospital data warehouse. RESULTS: Māori were triaged similarly to non‐Māori but were less likely to be admitted compared to non‐Māori: relative risk 0.87 (0.78, 0.97), P = 0.008. CONCLUSION: Māori were less likely to be admitted for similar presenting complaints, despite similar triage acuity. Further research is required to determine the reasons for this apparent inequity.