Emergency Medicine Program

This program conducts research in close collaboration between ED clinicians and Health Services Researchers to align Emergency Departments (ED) with the reality of the 21st Century. Seeking care at the ED is an attractive option, reflecting a vote of confidence in the quality and accessibility of care received. The ED services match the needs of the community. Emergency Physicians are skilled in assessing, stabilising and disposition of patients. Emergency Medicine requires more support at a systems level to better match supply and demand. New models of care are required.

ED Projects

• A number of projects have been funded and conducted under this program, namely:
• The Simpson Centre received a National Demonstration Hospitals Program (NDHP lead Hospital Project)-Phase 3. Integrating acute care services. 1997-2001. (NDHP3) Part of this project targeted elderly patients in ED with chronic conditions.
• The Simpson Centre received a $50,000 PDR (Priority Driven Research) grant from the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (AHMAC) in 2002. This project examined the number and nature of presentations to NSW Emergency Departments.
• The Simpson Centre has received a $390,000 PDR (Priority Driven Research) program from the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (AHMAC) over three years (2002-2005) to define and categorise patients according to top appropriate placement after assessment in the Emergency Department.
• The Centre was commissioned in 2008 by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine to conduct an extensive literature review into the causes and potential solutions of Access Block and ED overcrowding.
• The Centre is also reviewing the evidence of the validity and reliability of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS).
• The Simpson Centre is currently seeking NH&MRC funding to conduct a nationwide study on the impact of Access Block on patient outcomes.