Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Understanding the reasons patients decide to attend a particular acute care service, and their expectations of that service, is important in providing optimal patient care. The present study aimed to determine factors influencing patient decisions to attend a private Australian ED, an issue that has not been previously addressed in the literature. ⋯ Patients chose to use the private ED because of prior experience, proximity, and an expectation they would be seen promptly and be provided with competent care.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2015
Measuring the effectiveness of a revised clinical practice guideline for the pre-hospital management of supraventricular tachycardia.
To evaluate the effect of changes to the pre-hospital management of patients with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) following intervention with a revised Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG). The major CPG revisions were removal of verapamil, addition of adenosine and an emphasis on Valsalva manoeuvre. ⋯ The revised CPG improved pre-hospital SVT reversion success. This expansion of practice has not demonstrated improvements to utilisation or effectiveness of the Valsalva manoeuvre. Adenosine is effective and safe for pre-hospital use.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2015
Self-reported preparedness of New Zealand acute care providers to mass emergencies before the Canterbury Earthquakes: A national survey.
Disasters occur more frequently. Acute care providers are the first to respond to mass emergencies from the healthcare sector. The preparedness of acute care providers in New Zealand to respond to mass emergencies has not been previously studied. ⋯ Almost half of New Zealand acute healthcare providers have no training in dealing with mass emergency events. Training and general awareness of the role during a mass emergency response were the main factors associated with strong self-reported preparedness of acute care providers. The apparent efficacy of training allied to lack of availability means that it should be a national priority.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2015
Communication between nurses and physicians: Strategies to surviving in the emergency department trenches.
The emergency department (ED) is a challenging and stressful work environment where communication lapses can lead to negative health outcomes. This article offers strategies to Emergency Medicine residents, nurses and staff physicians on how to improve communication to optimize patient care.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2015
Impact of a structured intern education programme on clinical documentation in the emergency department.
To evaluate the impact of More Learning for Interns in Emergency (MoLIE) on clinical documentation in the ED of a large regional hospital. ⋯ The introduction of MoLIE was associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in documentation, despite an 80% increase in intern placements. These results suggest that structured training programmes have potential to improve intern performance while simultaneously enhancing training capacity. The impact on quality of care requires further evaluation.