Journal article
Impact of opening a new emergency department on healthcare service and patient outcomes: analyses based on linking ambulance, emergency and hospital databases
Internal Medicine Journal, Vol.43(12), pp.1293-1303
12/2013
PMID: 23734944
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Background:
Emergency department (ED) crowding caused by access block is an increasing public health issue and has been associated with impaired healthcare delivery, negative patient outcomes and increased staff workload.
Aim
To investigate the impact of opening a new ED on patient and healthcare service outcomes.
Methods
A 24‐month time series analysis was employed using deterministically linked data from the ambulance service and three ED and hospital admission databases in Queensland, Australia.
Results
Total volume of ED presentations increased 18%, while local population growth increased by 3%. Healthcare service and patient outcomes at the two pre‐existing hospitals did not improve. These outcomes included ambulance offload time: (Hospital A PRE: 10 min, POST: 10 min, P < 0.001; Hospital B PRE: 10 min, POST: 15 min, P < 0.001); ED length of stay: (Hospital A PRE: 242 min, POST: 246 min, P < 0.001; Hospital B PRE: 182 min, POST: 210 min, P < 0.001); and access block: (Hospital A PRE: 41%, POST: 46%, P < 0.001; Hospital B PRE: 23%, POST: 40%, P < 0.001). Time series modelling indicated that the effect was worst at the hospital furthest away from the new ED.
Conclusions
An additional ED within the region saw an increase in the total volume of presentations at a rate far greater than local population growth, suggesting it either provided an unmet need or a shifting of activity from one sector to another. Future studies should examine patient decision making regarding reasons for presenting to a new or pre‐existing ED. There is an inherent need to take a ‘whole of health service area’ approach to solve crowding issues.
Details
- Title
- Impact of opening a new emergency department on healthcare service and patient outcomes: analyses based on linking ambulance, emergency and hospital databases
- Creators
- J Crilly (Author) - Gold Coast HospitalJ O'Dwyer (Author) - Gold Coast HospitalJ Lind (Author) - Gold Coast HospitalV Tippett (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyL Thalib (Author) - Griffith UniversityM O'Dwyer (Author) - Australian eHealth Research Centre (Queensland Government and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)G Keijzers (Author) - Gold Coast HospitalM Wallis - Griffith UniversityN Bost (Author) - Gold Coast HospitalS Shiels (Author) - Logan Hospital, Meadowbrook
- Publication Details
- Internal Medicine Journal, Vol.43(12), pp.1293-1303
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Queensland Ambulance Service Queensland Emergency Medicine Research Foundation
- Identifiers
- 991012926995002368
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article