Article · Nigerian Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2026 · ID sample

Machine-learning triage in tertiary hospitals across Lagos: a 12-month cohort study

A. Adeyemi, C. Okafor, R. Bello · University of Lagos, Nigeria
DOI 10.5555/napid.1024 Open Access Peer-reviewed ORCID verified

Abstract

We evaluated a machine-learning triage tool across three tertiary hospitals in Lagos over 12 months (n = 42,318 patients). The model, trained on Nigerian emergency-department records, achieved a specificity of 0.914 and reduced time-to-critical-care by 32% relative to standard triage. We discuss implementation lessons, ethical considerations, and generalization across West-African emergency contexts.

Keywords

Machine learning Emergency medicine Triage Nigeria Public health

Introduction

Emergency departments in Nigerian tertiary hospitals face acute pressure due to population growth and constrained resources. Rapid, accurate triage is central to patient outcomes…

AI Summary

A locally-trained ML triage tool cut time-to-critical-care by 32% while maintaining specificity above 0.91, with feasibility validated across 3 Lagos hospitals over 12 months.