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Audit reveals many ED patients had other options

Audit reveals many ED patients had other options

People urged to seek advice and save the ED for emergencies

Most people who go to the Emergency Department at Wairau Hospital for non-emergency matters don’t seek advice on other options beforehand, a study reveals.

Scott Street Health Lead Nurse Alison Bond wanted to find out more about why people use the Emergency Department the way they do, and looked at data about her practice’s patients presenting at ED over three months from May last year.

“One clear finding from this project was that people do not generally seek advice before making a decision to go to ED,” she says. “This may simply be learned behaviour rather than applying any conscious thought as to where they should or could access health care.”

Wairau Hospital’s Emergency Department is very busy, and health leaders want people to consider calling Healthline (0800 611 116) or seeking advice from a pharmacist, GP or practice nurse, or the urgent after hours GP before going to Emergency Department with non-emergency matters.

“It would appear that the concept of the Emergency Department being exclusively for those with potentially life-threatening emergencies is not understood or acknowledged by many of our patients, as over 92% chose to self-refer to the hospital for treatment,” Bond says in her report.

Convenience appears to be a strong deciding factor in why people go to ED, along with a commonly held belief that ED is the place to go if you are injured, even in a minor way, she says.

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Many people do not realise that General Practitioners and Practice Nurses are ACC providers, so can see and treat a range of minor injuries, she says.

If x-rays are required, GPs can refer patients for x-rays and order treatment based on results.

“We can often see and assess wounds, sprains and musculoskeletal injuries in General Practice, so please consider ringing for an appointment to see your GP or practice nurse rather than going straight to the ED for your injury,” she says.

Recently, a patient with a nasty cut to the finger was going to have to wait a while to be seen at the ED and contacted the practice, she says. “We were able to see them, stitch up the wound and send them home promptly and avoid a long wait at ED,” Bond says.

Bond’s report is providing useful information to a steering group comprised of representatives from Nelson Marlborough District Health Board, Kimi Hauora Wairau Marlborough Primary Health Organisation and Marlborough GPs who are working to encourage people to save the ED for emergencies, and to make use of other health professionals where appropriate.

BACKGROUND

Nurse Alison Bond’s findings

Scott Street Health Lead Nurse Alison Bond looked at the 1040 discharge summaries regarding the 649 Scott Street Health patients seen at Wairau Hospital Emergency Department in three months from May 2014. She then followed up with telephone interviews with some of the patients to ask further questions about why they chose ED. When patients arrive at ED the urgency of their needs is assessed on a triage scale from one to five. Sixty two per cent of the patients in the study were assessed as triage four and five per cent as triage five. “ED attendance is entirely appropriate when hospital level assessment or admission is required, however, it was evident that a large number of patients attended the ED with problems which could have been dealt with in primary care settings (that is: by GP or other non-hospital professional)” Bond says in the report.

For more information contact:

Scott Street Health Lead Practice Nurse Alison Bond: 03 5780199

Options for health advice in Marlborough

Healthline: Ring 0800 611 116 for advice from a registered nurse.

Pharmacists: For advice, a range of pharmacy-only medicines, emergency supplies of on-going prescription medicines and first aid.

Your GP: Most GP clinics have some same-day appointments available for acute cases or you can get advice from the practice nurse.

Marlborough Urgent After Hours GP: The clinic is for health needs that arise out of GP working hours. It is through Hospital Gate 2, off Hospital Rd, Blenheim, and is open from 6pm to 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 10pm on weekends and public holidays.

After hours dentist: Ring Wairau Hospital at the weekend and ask for on-call dentist’s contact details. 03 5209999

In a medical emergency call 111

ENDS

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