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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Emergency examination authorities in Queensland, Australia
Emergency medicine Australasia, Vol.35(5), pp.731-738
10/2023
PMID: 36951038
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
Objective
In Queensland, where a person experiences a major disturbance in their mental capacity, and is at risk of serious harm to self and others, an emergency examination authority (EEA) authorises Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) to detain and transport the person to an ED. In the ED, further detention for up to 12 h is authorised to allow the examination to be completed. Little published information describes these critical patient encounters.
Methods
Queensland's Public Health Act (2005), amended in 2017, mandates the use of the approved EEA form. Data were extracted from a convenience sample of 942 EEAs including: (i) patient age, sex, address; (ii) free text descriptions by QPS and QAS officers of the person's behaviour and any serious risk of harm requiring urgent care; (iii) time examination period commenced; and (iv) outcome upon examination.
Results
Of 942 EEA forms, 640 (68%) were retrieved at three ‘larger central’ hospitals and 302 (32%) at two ‘smaller regional’ hospitals in non-metropolitan Queensland. QPS initiated 342 (36%) and QAS 600 (64%) EEAs for 486 (52%) males, 453 (48%) females and two intersexes (<1%), aged from 9 to 85 years (median 29 years, 17% aged <18 years). EEAs commonly occurred on weekends (32%) and between 2300 and midnight (8%), characterised by ‘drug and/or alcohol issues’ (53%), ‘self-harm’ (40%), ‘patient aggression’ (25%) and multiple prior EEAs (23%). Although information was incomplete, most patients (78%, n = 419/534) required no inpatient admission.
Conclusions
EEAs furnish unique records for evaluating the impacts of Queensland's novel legislative reforms.
Details
- Title
- Emergency examination authorities in Queensland, Australia
- Creators
- Alan R. Clough - James Cook UniversityAngela Evans - Queensland Police ServiceVeronica Graham - James Cook UniversityJanet Catterall - James Cook UniversityRichard Lakeman - Southern Cross UniversityJohn Gilroy - University of SydneyGregory Pratt - University of SydneyJoe Petrucci - Neami NationalUlrich Orda - James Cook UniversityRajesh Sehdev - Townsville HospitalNeale Thornton - Mackay Base HospitalSourav Das - James Cook UniversityGillian Yearsley - Northern Territory Health ServicesRichard Stone - Cairns Hospital
- Publication Details
- Emergency medicine Australasia, Vol.35(5), pp.731-738
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- Emergency Medicine Foundation. Grant Number: EMLE-103R30-2018-Stone Northern Queensland Primary Health Network Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre
- Identifiers
- 991013103913102368
- Copyright
- © 2023 The Authors. Emergency Medicine Australasia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article