Project Details
Description
The 8.8million Australians seeking care in our Emergency Departments (EDs) each year are routinely confronted by overcrowded waiting rooms, ambulance ramping and stressed clinicians. Overcrowding causes delays in treatment, adverse events and poor patient outcomes. Current ED models of care are not equipped to help patients move through ED efficiently in these situations.
We propose to translate a new model of care to address this situation. The Early nurse Protocol Initiated Care- Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (EPIC-START) model of care will embed data analytic tools and evidence-based clinical pathways specifically designed to improve patient flow. Building on our competitively funded work, the model focuses on the three D principles of patient flow: Earlier decision-making, delivery of care and detection of clinical deterioration. Validated decision support tools will be deployed at triage to initiate inpatient bed allocation, with treatments commenced earlier using standardised nurse-initiated pathways across all common illnesses presenting to ED. Those who deteriorate despite these early interventions will be electronically flagged to senior doctors based on real-time patient data.
Our team will evaluate EPIC-START using an implementation effectiveness trial across 30 NSW hospitals. The primary outcome is ED length of stay. Patient centred outcomes include time to treatment, decision to admit and satisfaction with care. We have an exceptional track record over 10 years of successfully implementing large multi-site change processes that significantly improve patient and health service outcomes. We have executive sponsorship and engagement across the health sector.
This robust, translatable model of care has far-reaching implications for emergency care delivery in Australia. Our vision is to ensure all Australians have timely access to high quality, patient centred emergency care, through a sustainable, evidence-based and data-driven approach.
We propose to translate a new model of care to address this situation. The Early nurse Protocol Initiated Care- Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (EPIC-START) model of care will embed data analytic tools and evidence-based clinical pathways specifically designed to improve patient flow. Building on our competitively funded work, the model focuses on the three D principles of patient flow: Earlier decision-making, delivery of care and detection of clinical deterioration. Validated decision support tools will be deployed at triage to initiate inpatient bed allocation, with treatments commenced earlier using standardised nurse-initiated pathways across all common illnesses presenting to ED. Those who deteriorate despite these early interventions will be electronically flagged to senior doctors based on real-time patient data.
Our team will evaluate EPIC-START using an implementation effectiveness trial across 30 NSW hospitals. The primary outcome is ED length of stay. Patient centred outcomes include time to treatment, decision to admit and satisfaction with care. We have an exceptional track record over 10 years of successfully implementing large multi-site change processes that significantly improve patient and health service outcomes. We have executive sponsorship and engagement across the health sector.
This robust, translatable model of care has far-reaching implications for emergency care delivery in Australia. Our vision is to ensure all Australians have timely access to high quality, patient centred emergency care, through a sustainable, evidence-based and data-driven approach.
| Acronym | USYD Led |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Effective start/end date | 1/04/22 → 31/03/27 |