Essentials 1 Organizational business planning describes the strategies an organization will take to achieve the goals of the strategic plan. 2 The emergency department (ED) business plan is an important multipurpose document and informs the organization about the agreed performance…
Essentials 1 Quality improvement offers the tools to translate knowledge into improved patient care. 2 The six key aims for improvement are safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency and equitable care. 3 The commonly used quality cycle known as ‘plan, do,…
Essentials 1 The layout of the emergency department should functionally promote efficacy of care, safety and efficient patient flow by maximizing access to every space with the minimum of cross-traffic. 2 The triage location should enable staff directly to observe…
Essentials 1 An emergency department staff structure that is appropriate in numbers and skill mix is required to provide high-quality and timely clinical care, while maintaining sustainable working conditions for staff. 2 Senior medical and nursing staff have clinical roles…
Essentials 1 Public health is a key component of a sustainable health system. 2 Emergency medicine has a mandate to advocate for public health initiatives. 3 Acute health care has limited opportunity to affect health care outcomes compared to public…
Essentials 1 Serious adverse events (SAEs), including cardiac arrest were previously common in hospitalized ward patients. 2 SAEs were often preceded by signs of physiological derangement for up to 24 hours prior to the event. 3 Rapid response systems (RRSs)…
Essentials 1 Overcrowding is the situation where emergency department (ED) function is impeded primarily by the excessive number of patients needing or receiving care. 2 Access block is excessive delay in accessing appropriate inpatient beds and, in Australasia, is defined…
Essentials 1 Emergency department short stay units play a key role in modern emergency departments. 2 Staffing is ideally by emergency department staff with defined admission criteria and a plan for disposition within 24 hours. 3 They offer time-limited intensive…
Essentials 1 The worldwide problem of refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons is significant and likely to increase. 2 Overall responsibility for internally displaced persons (IDPs) lies with the governments of the country in which they reside. The international community,…
Essentials 1 Triage is the ongoing process of sorting patients on the basis of the urgency of their need for medical care. 2 Urgency is distinct from both severity and complexity. 3 Triage categorization has been found to relate strongly…