Citation

Sprivulis PC, Grainger S, Nagree Y. Emerg. Med. Australas. 2005; 17(1): 11-15.

Affiliation

Acute Demand Management Unit, Department of Health, Western Australia, Australia. peter.sprivulis@health.wa.gov.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1742-6723.2005.00686.x

PMID

15675899

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between ambulance diversion and low acuity patient (LAP) attendances to EDs. METHODS: Comparison of LAP attendance rates at inner metropolitan EDs and outer metropolitan EDs using a previously validated methodology. RESULTS: The percentage of LAP attendances was lower at inner metropolitan EDs (11.4%, 95% CI 11.3-11.6) compared to outer metropolitan hospitals (22.9%, 95% CI 22.6-23.2, P < 0.001). The proportion of LAP attendances was slightly higher at both inner and outer metropolitan hospitals after-hours compared to working hours. Average daily LAP attendances per inner metropolitan hospital (13.4 attendances, 95% CI 13.2-13.6) which averaged 89.2 min of diversion daily (95% CI 88.7-89.7) were lower than at outer metropolitan hospitals (19.3 attendances, 95% CI 19.0-19.6, P < 0.001), which averaged 12.4 min of diversion daily (95% CI 12.1-12.5, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Inner metropolitan hospitals experience low LAP attendance rates. Attempts to further reduce LAP attendance rates at Perth inner metropolitan hospitals have limited scope to reduce ambulance diversion.

Language: en