Demand for public hospital emergency department services in Australia: 2000–2001 to 2009–2010

Abstract

This growth in demand exceeds general population growth, and the variability between states both in utilization rates and overall trends defies immediate explanation. The growth in demand for ED services is a partial contributor to the crowding being experienced in EDs across Australia. There is a need for more detailed study, including qualitative analysis of patient motivations in order to identify the factors driving this growth in demand.

Impact of ladder‐related falls on the emergency department and recommendations for ladder safety

“…The findings can be considered ‘stating the obvious’ but they highlight the burden and potential cost implications to the ED, as demonstrated by the requirement for primary assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients following ladder trauma. In the context of increasing demand for emergency services and the role of emergency medicine in injury prevention, these findings help establish the importance of preventing ladder‐related falls.…”

The impact of heatwaves on emergency department visits in Brisbane, Australia: a time series study

“…On heatwave days, the average length of stay in the ED increased significantly, due potentially to an increased number of patients and higher severity of their conditions, as determined by higher RR of acuity and admission. These can have considerable implications for the emergency health system which is under constant pressure due to excess demand and overcrowding [24,43]. …”

“…Public hospital emergency departments (EDs) are increasingly used by patients for a wide variety of conditions [24], and have been proven to be a useful surveillance tool to monitor the public health effects of heat events [25,26]. Despite a considerable amount of research on the effects of heat on mortality and health service utilisation in Brisbane [12-16,18], none have examined the effects of heat on daily ED presentations for conditions such as heatstroke and sun exposure.…”

Assessment of the temperature effect on childhood diarrhea using satellite imagery

“…Public hospital emergency departments are a significant and high-profile component of Australia's health care system31. EDVs data, which were classified according to International Classification of Diseases, 9 th and 10 th versions (ICD-9 and ICD-10), were supplied by Queensland Health.…”