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Australian private emergency departments can assist ambulance services by taking public emergency patients during surge and disasters
Author(s) -
Walker Katie,
Stephenson Michael,
Dunlop William A,
Cheong Edward M,
BenMeir Michael
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.13328
Subject(s) - surge capacity , medicine , medical emergency , emergency medical services , public health , emergency management , covid-19 , nursing , economic growth , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics
We describe a novel ambulance diversion programme, piloted in Victoria. This article discusses creating increased emergency capacity during surge or disasters by utilising private EDs, tested during a recent thunderstorm asthma disaster and an influenza epidemic. Public hospitals and EDs often run at or over capacity during normal operations. This leaves limited ability to manage surges in demand, resulting in suboptimal outcomes for patients, public ED staff and ambulance services. It is feasible to create surge capacity in private EDs for public ambulance patients. Other states could consider this option to help manage health disasters.