Private hospital emergency departments in Australia: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

This study is the first public description of patients attending private EDs in Australia. Private EDs have a significant role to play in acute medical care and in providing access to private hospitals which could alleviate pressure on public EDs. This study demonstrates the need for consolidated data based on a consistent data set and data dictionary to enable system-wide analysis, benchmarking and evaluation.

Choosing public or private emergency departments in Australia

“…These see 533 400 patients per annum, and 6.7% of the total ED consultations in Australia (2014–2015 financial year). Initial research to describe private EDs has been undertaken . Public hospitals saw 7.4 million patients in the same time period .…”

Training in a private hospital: A trainee's perspective

“…While caseloads at private EDs are not as high as those seen in public departments, doctors in private EDs are expected to more definitively manage patients prior to disposition. However, this comes at a cost of a more limited variety of casemix and a difference in acuity of patients seen on any particular shift . As such, trainees who want to pursue a rotation in a private ED should consider if they have had adequate exposure to varied casemix and acuity beforehand.…”

The factors that influence private health insurance holders' choice between public and private emergency departments at the time of emergency

“…A preliminary study (G. Fitzgerald et al, 2013) highlighted the opportunities and the significant role of private hospital EDs as well as the challenges in providing acute medical care and access to private hospitals for patients, particularly for those with PHI. In particular, the study emphasised the need for further research to understand the factors that may affect patients' choices between public and private hospital EDs.…”

“…Table 5.3 presents the comparison of ED patients' average age among EDIS 2010-11, four private hospitals 2010-11(G. Fitzgerald et al, 2013;Rego, 2015), and this study 2015. The average age of study participants, both public and private, was greater than the age of their corresponding hospital population data.…”

“…As a result, the flow of patients through the ED is often delayed, which can impose significant risks to patients' treatment outcomes as well as having an adverse economic impact on the health care system. Preliminary study (G. Fitzgerald et al, 2013) demonstrates that private hospital EDs have a significant role to play in the provision of acute medical care and in providing access to private hospitals for patients particularly for those with PHI. However, the study drew only on one year's data from four private hospital EDs, and did not investigate the factors which may affect patients' choice between public and private hospital EDs.…”