Effectiveness of clinical criteria in directing patient flow from the emergency department to a medical assessment unit in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective chart review of hospital administrative data

Finding good alternatives to hospitalisation: a data register study in five municipal acute wards in Norway

BACKGROUND

In Norway, municipal acute wards (MAWs) have been implemented in primary healthcare since 2012. The MAWs were intended to offer decentralised acute medical care 24/7 for patients who otherwise would be admitted to hospital. The aim of this study was to assess whether the MAW represents the alternative to hospitalisation as intended, through 1) describing the characteristics of patients intended as candidates for MAWs by primary care physicians, 2) exploring the need for extended diagnostics prior to admission in MAWs, and 3) exploring factors associated with patients being transferred from the MAWs to hospital.

METHODS

The study was based on register data from five MAWs in Norway in the period 2014-2020.

RESULTS

In total, 16 786 admissions were included. The median age of the patients was 78 years, 60% were women, and the median length of stay was three days. Receiving oral medication (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.09-1.40), and the MAW being located nearby the hospital (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.92-2.72) were factors associated with patients admitted to MAW after extended diagnostics. Patients needing advanced treatment, such as oxygen therapy (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.81-2.51), intravenous medication (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.45-1.81), intravenous fluid therapy (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.19-1.47) and MAWs with long travel distance from the MAW to the hospital (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22-1.74) had an increased odds for being transferred to hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that MAWs do not represent the alternative to hospitalisation as intended. The results show that patients receiving extended diagnostics before admission to MAW got basic treatment, while patients in need of advanced medical treatment were transferred to hospital from a MAW. This indicates that there is still a potential to develop MAWs in order to fulfil the intended health service level.

Evaluation of an Ambulatory Emergency Care Centre at a tertiary hospital in Perth, Western Australia

BACKGROUND

Emergency Departments around the world are under increasing pressure due to rising demand. In the United Kingdom ambulatory emergency care has been demonstrated to deliver safe and effective care for emergency patients and has now become an accepted treatment modality.

METHODS

This paper outlines a quality improvement project undertaken to evaluate an ambulatory emergency care centre implemented at a tertiary hospital in Perth, Western Australia, from February to August 2021.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated a 4% improvement in the Western Australian Emergency Access Target for a four week period, a 6.3% reduction in the number of patients admitted with a length of stay less than 24 h and that patient's attending the Ambulatory Emergency Care Centre were managed as safely as if they were seen in the Emergency Department.

Exploration of clinicians’ decision-making regarding transfer of patient care from the emergency department to a medical assessment unit: A qualitative study

Background

Hospitals face immense pressures in balancing patient throughput. Medical assessment units have emerged as a commonplace response to improve the flow of medical patients presenting to the emergency department requiring hospital admission and to ease overcrowding in the emergency department. The aim of this study was to understand factors influencing the decision-making behaviour of key stakeholders involved in the transfer of care of medical patients from one service to the other in a large, tertiary teaching hospital in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

We used a qualitative approach drawing on data from focus groups with key informant health and professional staff involved in the transfer of care. A theoretically-informed, semi-structured focus group guide was used to facilitate discussion and explore factors impacting on decisions made to transfer care of patients from the emergency department to the medical assessment unit. Thematic analysis was undertaken to look for patterns in the data.

Results

Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 15 participants. Four main themes were identified: (1) we have a process—we just don’t use it; (2) I can do it, but can they; (3) if only we could skype them; and (4) why can’t they just go up. Patient flow relies on efficiency in two processes—the transfer of care and the physical re-location of the patient from one service to the other. The findings suggest that factors other than clinical reasoning are at play in influencing decision-making behaviour.

Conclusions

Acknowledgement of the interaction within and between professional and health staff (human factors) with the organisational imperatives, policies, and process (system factors) may be critical to improve efficiencies in the service and minimise the introduction of workarounds that might compromise patient safety.