Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Bedside review of patient care in an emergency department: The Cow Round.
Clinical handover is a critical point in medical care in the ED, which can contribute to adverse effects for patient care and staff workloads. Over a 4 and a half months in a tertiary referral hospital ED, a centralized whiteboard handover was performed followed by a multidisciplinary review of each patient. This round was referred to as the 'Cow Round'. ⋯ Review of patients led by a senior member of medical staff, at the patient bedside enables the timely identification and management of issues not communicated during the whiteboard handover process. This review is important when more patients are receiving treatment in the department.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
ReviewReview article: People who present on multiple occasions to emergency departments.
Research about people who present on multiple occasions to the ED began in the 1980s. Despite this, little is known of their journey as patients. Understanding ED use as a journey can help clinicians improve how they meet the needs of this patient group. ⋯ This patient group often have high and complex health needs, engage extensively with other health services and have poor long-term health outcomes. The issue of multiple presentations to the ED is complex and ongoing because of the morbidity of the people concerned, the preference of patients to attend, the purpose of the ED and preparation and role of the personnel and the difficulties with continuity of care. The provision of care for people who present on multiple occasions can be improved within the ED and health services generally through a better understanding of presentations.
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The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of using a store-and-forward Skin Emergency Telemedicine Service (SETS) to provide rapid specialist diagnostic and management advice for dermatological cases in an ED. ⋯ The present study has shown that SETS can provide rapid and accurate diagnostic and treatment advice from a specialist for dermatological presentations to the ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Involuntary psychiatric attendances at an Australasian emergency department: A comparison of police and health-care worker initiated presentations.
To identify any significant differences in the population of patients brought in to a hospital ED under involuntary mental health orders, based on whether the orders are initiated by police or health professionals. ⋯ Patients on police and medical orders differ considerably, but the impact of these differences on ED workload is small.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2011
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza in Australia: Absenteeism and redeployment of emergency medicine and nursing staff.
The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of Pandemic (H(1)N(1)) 2009 Influenza on the Australian emergency nursing and medicine workforce, specifically absenteeism and deployment. ⋯ Future research related to absenteeism, redeployment during actual pandemic events is urgently needed. Workforce data collection should be an integral part of organizational pandemic planning.