{"title":"Evaluating accuracy of cervical spine computed tomography interpretation by emergency trainees with the use of a structured protocol","authors":"Geetika Malhotra MD, Dinesh Varma MBBS, FRANZCR, Biswadev Mitra MBBS (Melb), MHlthServMt, PhD, FACEM","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14545","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14545","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Radiological evaluation of cervical spine injury with computed tomography (CT) scanning is a fundamental component of the assessment of major trauma. Accurate interpretation of scans is essential for safe clearance or diagnosis of injuries. However, delays in radiologist reporting often result in prolonged spinal immobilisation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a simple, structured reporting tool to improve assessment of CTs of the cervical spine by emergency medicine trainees.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A prospective pre- and post-intervention cohort study was undertaken within a major metropolitan ED. Participants in the pre-intervention phase interpreted a set of randomly selected cervical spine CTs. The post-intervention phase presented the same task with the additional provision of a structured cervical spine CT reporting template designed in collaboration with radiologists and emergency physicians. Interpretation by trainees was evaluated for concordance with the final radiology report by two blinded assessors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 155 cervical spine CT scans were reported by the 46 participants. Participants in the cohorts were similar with regards to experience and country of primary medical degree. Concordance with the radiology report in the pre-intervention phase was 60% (95% CI 0.48–0.71), compared with a concordance of 54% (95% CI 0.42–0.65) in the post-intervention phase (<i>P</i> = 0.46).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Interpretation of cervical spine CT scans by trainees was inferior compared to radiologists and did not improve with a structured reporting template. Other innovative strategies towards timely reporting of CT scans by radiologists of the cervical spine are indicated for earlier definitive diagnosis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142812420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura R Joyce FACEM, AFRACMA, MBChB, BMedSc(Hons), MMedEd, Laura M Hamill FRNZCUC, MBChB, BaO, Alice Rogan PhD, MBChB, BSc(Hons), Amanda Collins FACEM, MBChB, PGDipMedEd, DCH, PGCertCPU, Sierra Beck FACEM, MD
{"title":"Gender equity in authorship of emergency medicine publications in Australasia","authors":"Laura R Joyce FACEM, AFRACMA, MBChB, BMedSc(Hons), MMedEd, Laura M Hamill FRNZCUC, MBChB, BaO, Alice Rogan PhD, MBChB, BSc(Hons), Amanda Collins FACEM, MBChB, PGDipMedEd, DCH, PGCertCPU, Sierra Beck FACEM, MD","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14544","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14544","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To evaluate gender authorship trends in the official journal of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), <i>Emergency Medicine Australasia</i> (EMA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A bibliometric review of author gender in EMA during the 10-year period 2013–2022. The gender of first/last authors were determined by www.genderize.io, or a manual internet search where gender was not determined with at least 90% certainty. Descriptive statistics were used with percentages of women as first and last author compared to current percentages of ACEM Fellows (FACEMs) who identify as women.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The final analysis included 1703 articles. Women accounted for 27.4% fewer authors than men (36.3% <i>vs</i> 63.7%). Women were outnumbered by men by 20.0% among first authors (40% <i>vs</i> 60%), and 36.2% (31.9% <i>vs</i> 68.1%) for last authors. When the last author was a woman, there was a similar rate of women (49.2%) and men (50.8%) as first authors. However, when the last author was a man, first authors were 37.1% women <i>versus</i> 62.9% men. If the last author was a woman, there was a 60% greater probability that the first author was also a woman (odds ratio 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–2.1). First authorship rate by women was equal to or exceeds the proportion of women FACEMs, however, last authorship by women still lags behind.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The emergency medicine community in Australasia must continue to tackle existing gender disparities which exist in our specialty. A creative and active strategy on the part of publishers, editors, academics and authors is needed to redress this balance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142799193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tanya Mellett MBBS (Hons), FACEM, Courtney West BNSc, GCertN(CritCare), Theophilus I Emeto BSc (HONS), MSc (DISTINCTION), MBiostatistics, PhD, CStat, FIMC, CMC, CMS (DISTINCTION), Jane Dutson MBChB BScHons MRCP FRCEM FACEM, Angeline Khoo MBChB, FRACP, MMed, MHlthServMgmt, Vinay Gangathimmaiah MBBS, MPH, FACEM
{"title":"Evaluation of older patients with minor blunt head trauma to identify those who do not have clinically important traumatic brain injury and can be safely managed without cranial computed tomography","authors":"Tanya Mellett MBBS (Hons), FACEM, Courtney West BNSc, GCertN(CritCare), Theophilus I Emeto BSc (HONS), MSc (DISTINCTION), MBiostatistics, PhD, CStat, FIMC, CMC, CMS (DISTINCTION), Jane Dutson MBChB BScHons MRCP FRCEM FACEM, Angeline Khoo MBChB, FRACP, MMed, MHlthServMgmt, Vinay Gangathimmaiah MBBS, MPH, FACEM","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14540","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14540","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our primary aim was to identify a low-risk subgroup of older adults (aged 65 and older) presenting to ED with minor head trauma which can be safely managed without a cranial CT (cCT).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This was a single-site, prospective, observational, cohort study conducted at a major-referral ED. Alert, haemodynamically stable, older adults with suspected head trauma were eligible. This included both community dwellers and residential aged care facility (RACF) residents. Primary outcome was the proportion of patients who had a clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) within 42 days of index ED presentation. Secondary outcomes included proportion investigated with a cCT, and proportion needing neurosurgical intervention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two hundred seventy-six patients (mean age 80.5 years; 53.6% female) were enrolled. The most common mechanism of injury was ground-level fall (93.8%). One in four patients was from RACFs, 30.1% had dementia and 52.2% were on blood thinners. 80.8% had a cCT during the index ED visit. Seven (2.5%) patients had ciTBI within 42 days of index ED presentation. Patients with ciTBI had either external signs of head injury or abnormal neurological exam. All patients with ciTBI were treated conservatively after shared decision-making.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alert, haemodynamically stable, older ED adults with suspected head trauma had a low incidence of ciTBI in the present study. Abnormal physical examination findings were consistently present in patients with ciTBI. Shared decision-making prior to cCT may be the pragmatic way ahead in the management of this patient cohort, especially among those from RACFs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142779580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennie Hutton MBChB, MPH, FACEM, Veal Michael BSc, BA, Suzanne M Miller MD, FACEP, FACEM, GAICD, Belinda Baines BHSc, MPodPrac, Marija Kirjanenko MD, MSc, FACEM, MAppSc, AFRACMA, MSt, Loren Sher MBBCh, DCH, FACEM, PEM, Joanna Lawrence BHB, MBCHB, MPH, FRACP, AFRAMA, CHIA, James Boyd PhD, Adam Semciw GDip, GCert, BApplSci, PhD, Rebecca Jessup BPod, MPH, PhD, Jason Talevski PhD
{"title":"Establishing trust in emergency telehealth consultations","authors":"Jennie Hutton MBChB, MPH, FACEM, Veal Michael BSc, BA, Suzanne M Miller MD, FACEP, FACEM, GAICD, Belinda Baines BHSc, MPodPrac, Marija Kirjanenko MD, MSc, FACEM, MAppSc, AFRACMA, MSt, Loren Sher MBBCh, DCH, FACEM, PEM, Joanna Lawrence BHB, MBCHB, MPH, FRACP, AFRAMA, CHIA, James Boyd PhD, Adam Semciw GDip, GCert, BApplSci, PhD, Rebecca Jessup BPod, MPH, PhD, Jason Talevski PhD","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14543","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14543","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Over recent years, emergency telehealth has developed rapidly in Australasia. From the patient's perspective, establishing trust with a healthcare provider is uniquely challenging when using the audio and video modalities commonly used in telehealth. It is crucial to consider how we may improve the delivery of care through this emerging pathway if high-quality care is to be delivered. Several simple techniques have been identified in the literature and can be employed to create trust and improve the patient–provider relationship. These include ensuring privacy and an appropriate setting for the consultation; considering how eye contact and expressions are best used; providing alternative options to telehealth; and clearly identifying names, roles and qualifications. We describe how these methods can best be employed in the virtual emergency care setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christopher Partyka MBBS BMedSci, Daniel Gaetani BSc(Pharm) MBBS, Anthony Delaney MBBS PhD, Kate Curtis PhD
{"title":"Expert consensus on serratus anterior plane block education and credentialing: A modified-Delphi study","authors":"Christopher Partyka MBBS BMedSci, Daniel Gaetani BSc(Pharm) MBBS, Anthony Delaney MBBS PhD, Kate Curtis PhD","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14542","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14542","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a regional anaesthesia technique with increasing use as an analgesic adjunct in patients with rib fractures. The present study aimed to generate consensus of the requirements of education, training and credentialing for the use of a ‘single shot’ SAPB in the management of rib fractures.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A modified Delphi process was designed using online questionnaires. Expert panellists from Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand were invited from the fields of Emergency Medicine and Anaesthesia and were asked to rate the importance of different components of SAPB education, training and credentialling on a 9-point Likert scale. Consensus was achieved if ≥70% of experts provided a score of seven or greater on this scale for any given statement.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Thirty specialists (60% FACEM, 40% FANZCA) representing New Zealand plus all states and territories of Australia formed the expert panel. Participant response rates were 100% (first round), 83% (second round) and 63% (final round). At the end of three survey rounds, 59 consensus statements were formed (27 for education, 5 for training and 17 for credentialing).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This series of expert statements provides consensus on the education, training and credentialling of the SAPB for the management of rib fractures. These serve as the minimum standard by which this procedure should be taught while providing clinicians with a syllabus for the development of training programmes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael Eburn PhD, LLM, LLB, Tina Cockburn BCom, LLB(Hons), LLM, Anne-Maree Kelly MD, FACEM, MHealth&MedLaw
{"title":"Patient care on the ramp: Who is legally responsible?","authors":"Michael Eburn PhD, LLM, LLB, Tina Cockburn BCom, LLB(Hons), LLM, Anne-Maree Kelly MD, FACEM, MHealth&MedLaw","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14541","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14541","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ambulance ramping, the delay to transfer of a patient arriving at an ED by ambulance into an ED treatment space and handover of care to ED clinicians, is a problem in all Australian states and territories and New Zealand. It is a symptom of ED overcrowding and access block and has been associated with adverse health outcomes for some patient groups. The questions arise, who might be legally responsible for the care of patients who are ramped and does their physical location matter? The short answers are ‘everyone' and ‘no', however, whether there will be a breach of duty depends on the reasonableness of responses and resource allocation considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoe Jane Rodgers DPT, Karolina Bejmert DPT, Tiani Chung DPT, James Furness PhD, Philip Abery BSc (Physiotherapy), Kevin Kemp-Smith DSc, Nicholas Taylor MBBS, Kimberley Casey Bruce MBBS, Peter James Snelling BSc, MBBS(hons), MPHTM, FRACP, FACEM, CCPU, DDU, PhD
{"title":"Review article: Evaluating the effectiveness of arterial pressure point techniques as a first aid method for external haemorrhage control: A systematic review","authors":"Zoe Jane Rodgers DPT, Karolina Bejmert DPT, Tiani Chung DPT, James Furness PhD, Philip Abery BSc (Physiotherapy), Kevin Kemp-Smith DSc, Nicholas Taylor MBBS, Kimberley Casey Bruce MBBS, Peter James Snelling BSc, MBBS(hons), MPHTM, FRACP, FACEM, CCPU, DDU, PhD","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14537","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14537","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The current ANZCOR guidelines for first aid management of life-threatening bleeding from a limb, where bleeding cannot be controlled with direct pressure, recommends the use of an arterial tourniquet. However, tourniquets required specialised training and equipment, which may not be accessible in all emergencies. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of arterial pressure point techniques (APPT) as a first aid measure for controlling life-threatening, non-compressible bleeding from limbs and anatomical junctions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. The search was used in five databases: PubMed, CINAHL, SportDiscuss, Proquest Central and Embase. Eligible studies included adult participants in and out of hospital settings, focusing on extremities and junctional areas. Studies assessing APPT alone or compared with other first aid techniques were included. The review included nine quasi-experimental articles, with eight having low levels of evidence. Although most reported high success rates (87.5–100%) for APPT achieving blood flow cessation, its effectiveness compared to alternative methods, such as arterial tourniquets, remains inconclusive because of methodological heterogeneity and differing success benchmarks. APPT shows promise in external haemorrhage control. Additional research with higher levels of evidence, standardised protocols and larger sample sizes is needed. Investigation in real-world scenarios is crucial to compare methods like tourniquets. Future research will determine APPT's effectiveness and its potential role as a bridging technique before tourniquet application or medical assistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11707057/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142767351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jack Kinnersly MD, Furqan Ahmed MBBS, Chris Selman MBioStat, Elyssia M Bourke MBBS, FACEM
{"title":"Skeletal radiograph interpretation discrepancies in the emergency department setting: A retrospective chart review","authors":"Jack Kinnersly MD, Furqan Ahmed MBBS, Chris Selman MBioStat, Elyssia M Bourke MBBS, FACEM","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14539","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14539","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To determine the frequency and clinical consequences of discrepancies in skeletal radiograph interpretation between emergency and radiology doctors in an Australian ED.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We reviewed the records of adult and paediatric patients assessed with skeletal radiography in an ED in Victoria, Australia over 3 months (January to March 2022). Epidemiological data, the interpretation of the radiograph by ED and radiology doctors, and clinical management of the patient were recorded to determine interpretation discrepancies and the consequences of these.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There were 2359 unique skeletal radiographs in 1576 patient presentations during the study period. Of these, 140 (6%) had a discrepancy. Where a discrepancy existed, 47% of the ED interpretation reported a fracture and/or dislocation which was not present in the radiology interpretation (false positive), whereas the remaining (53%) were attributed to a missed fracture and/or dislocation (false negative). Thirty-five discrepancies (2%) required a change in patient management and were therefore clinically significant. The most commonly affected body region was the elbow, where 15% of radiographs were discrepant. Pathology was more often missed when multiple abnormalities were present on the same radiograph (odds ratio = 4.2, 95% confidence interval = 2.5–6.8).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The rate of clinically significant discrepancies in the interpretation of skeletal radiographs by emergency medicine doctors is low. This data support using the ED interpretation of radiographs to guide initial management as safe practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142738727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What they did next: Using follow-up phone calls to investigate health care access patterns of patients who take their own leave","authors":"Isabelle Stewart BSc, MD, Sam Freeman PhD, Georgina Phillips MBBS, FACEM, Jacqueline Maplesden MBChB, FACEM, Deborah Barnes BSN, BMid, PGC-EMC, MCHAM, Simone Soderland MANP, CCRN, GD, GD-INTLHL, Jennie Hutton MBChB, MPH, FACEM","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14536","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14536","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The purpose of the present study was to use telephone follow-up (TFU) to investigate the actions taken by patients after they took their own leave (TOL) from an ED, with a focus on priority groups who are at risk of experiencing health inequity. These included people experiencing homelessness (EH), people with a low socioeconomic status by index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage (IRSD) and First Nations people. The primary outcome was being seen by a general practitioner (GP) within 2 days of the TOL event. The utility of the TFU was also examined.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This was an observational study of data collected during a quality improvement intervention at an inner-city, tertiary, teaching hospital in Melbourne from January to December 2022. Descriptive results were obtained from a TFU survey that was administered 24–48 h after the TOL event.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>During the study period, 4209 patients TOL from the ED. Eight hundred forty-one of these were contacted and consented to the TFU survey. 97.7% of patients expressed gratitude at being followed up. Patients EH, compared to patients not EH, were less likely to have seen their GP within 2 days of TOL event (0.295 [0.132–0.661], <i>P</i> < 0.001). Both First Nations patients and those from low IRSD areas were as likely to have seen their GP within 2 days as other groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Patients EH were less likely to receive GP care within 2 days of TOL. Improving the access and acceptability of health care in these priority groups is important for achieving health equity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142738730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mahsa Kaikhosrovi MBBS, Kendall Bein MBBS, Philip Haywood PhD, Radhika Seimon PhD, Michael Dinh MBBS, PhD
{"title":"Low-acuity emergency department presentation characteristics and their association with Medicare-subsidised general practitioner services across New South Wales: A data linkage study","authors":"Mahsa Kaikhosrovi MBBS, Kendall Bein MBBS, Philip Haywood PhD, Radhika Seimon PhD, Michael Dinh MBBS, PhD","doi":"10.1111/1742-6723.14538","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1742-6723.14538","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Identify clinical and demographic characteristics of low-acuity presentations (LAPs) to the ED and analyse correlations between population rates of LAPs to ED and rates of Medicare-subsidised general practitioner (GP) services across statistical areas.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Retrospective data linkage study using state-wide ED data and publicly available data on GP services per population by statistical area. We performed multilevel logistic regression to determine predictors of LAP at an individual level after adjusting for remoteness categories and performed correlations between rates of LAP and GP services per population across statistical areas in New South Wales, Australia. The primary outcome was the rate of LAPs to ED, LAPs being defined as patients who self-presented to ED, assigned an Australasian Triage Score of 4 or 5 and subsequently discharged from ED.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There were 2.9 million ED presentations in 2021, of which 39.9% presentations were classified as LAP. LAPs were associated with younger age, routine care, eyes, ear, nose and throat and musculoskeletal presentations. The rate of LAPs was higher in non-metropolitan areas. Additionally, 85% of LAPs were seen and discharged from ED within 4 h. There was an inverse correlation between the rate of Medicare-subsidised GP services and the rate of total ED or LAPs in non-metropolitan areas (<i>ρ</i> = −0.47, <i>ρ</i> = −056 and <i>P</i> = 0.012, <i>P</i> = 0.001, respectively). In metropolitan areas, correlations were either positive for all ED presentations (<i>ρ</i> = +0.41, <i>P</i> = 0.007) or not significant for LAPs (<i>ρ</i> = +0.18, <i>P</i> = 0.57).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A relationship between LAPs to ED and Medicare-subsidised GP episodes of care exists for non-metropolitan but not metropolitan areas.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11604,"journal":{"name":"Emergency Medicine Australasia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142715693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}