File Download
There are no files associated with this item.
Links for fulltext
(May Require Subscription)
- Publisher Website: 10.1007/s12245-009-0098-7
- Scopus: eid_2-s2.0-77952741457
- PMID: 20157463
- WOS: WOS:000215033400031
- Find via
Supplementary
- Citations:
- Appears in Collections:
Article: Analysis of trends in emergency department attendances, hospital admissions and medical staffing in a Hong Kong university hospital: 5-year study
Title | Analysis of trends in emergency department attendances, hospital admissions and medical staffing in a Hong Kong university hospital: 5-year study |
---|---|
Authors | |
Keywords | Case mix Demand Emergency Departments Resources Hong Kong Admissions Attendances |
Issue Date | 2009 |
Citation | International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2009, v. 2, n. 3, p. 141-148 How to Cite? |
Abstract | Background: The workload of emergency departments (ED) continually changes in response to presentations, over-crowding and availability of expertise and investigations. Aims: To investigate changes in ED presentations and care processes, and the relationship of patient demand and ED staff resources to waiting times and processing times. Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected administrative data from January 1999 to April 2005 in an emergency department in a university teaching hospital in Hong Kong. All patients attending the emergency department during the study period were included. Monthly attendance data were retrieved and analysed to determine both qualitative and quantitative changes in the patterns of presentation to the ED using prospectively gathered data. Results Total ED attendances decreased by 25% during the study with little seasonal variation. The admission rate and the use of ambulances increased steadily and significantly. Medical patients are increasing proportionately, but trauma patients are decreased in number. Conclusion: There have been major changes in the patterns of ED attendances and ED waiting times over the study period in this teaching hospital ED. Decreasing overall ED numbers are offset by an increasingly elderly population and a more complex case mix. Reducing clinical staff numbers appears to reduce the ED's capacity to provide timely assessments and care and to function as hospital gatekeepers. Restoring staff numbers to previous levels may improve the quality and timeliness of ED services. It is necessary to refine measures of ED complexity and workload to determine appropriate staffing levels in the future. © Springer-Verlag London Ltd 2009. |
Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/240720 |
ISSN | 2023 Impact Factor: 2.0 2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.700 |
PubMed Central ID | |
ISI Accession Number ID |
DC Field | Value | Language |
---|---|---|
dc.contributor.author | Wai, Abraham K.C. | - |
dc.contributor.author | Chor, C. M. | - |
dc.contributor.author | Lee, Allen T.C. | - |
dc.contributor.author | Sittambunka, Yuwares | - |
dc.contributor.author | Graham, Colin A. | - |
dc.contributor.author | Rainer, Timothy H. | - |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-05-12T01:46:40Z | - |
dc.date.available | 2017-05-12T01:46:40Z | - |
dc.date.issued | 2009 | - |
dc.identifier.citation | International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2009, v. 2, n. 3, p. 141-148 | - |
dc.identifier.issn | 1865-1372 | - |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/240720 | - |
dc.description.abstract | Background: The workload of emergency departments (ED) continually changes in response to presentations, over-crowding and availability of expertise and investigations. Aims: To investigate changes in ED presentations and care processes, and the relationship of patient demand and ED staff resources to waiting times and processing times. Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected administrative data from January 1999 to April 2005 in an emergency department in a university teaching hospital in Hong Kong. All patients attending the emergency department during the study period were included. Monthly attendance data were retrieved and analysed to determine both qualitative and quantitative changes in the patterns of presentation to the ED using prospectively gathered data. Results Total ED attendances decreased by 25% during the study with little seasonal variation. The admission rate and the use of ambulances increased steadily and significantly. Medical patients are increasing proportionately, but trauma patients are decreased in number. Conclusion: There have been major changes in the patterns of ED attendances and ED waiting times over the study period in this teaching hospital ED. Decreasing overall ED numbers are offset by an increasingly elderly population and a more complex case mix. Reducing clinical staff numbers appears to reduce the ED's capacity to provide timely assessments and care and to function as hospital gatekeepers. Restoring staff numbers to previous levels may improve the quality and timeliness of ED services. It is necessary to refine measures of ED complexity and workload to determine appropriate staffing levels in the future. © Springer-Verlag London Ltd 2009. | - |
dc.language | eng | - |
dc.relation.ispartof | International Journal of Emergency Medicine | - |
dc.subject | Case mix | - |
dc.subject | Demand | - |
dc.subject | Emergency Departments | - |
dc.subject | Resources | - |
dc.subject | Hong Kong | - |
dc.subject | Admissions | - |
dc.subject | Attendances | - |
dc.title | Analysis of trends in emergency department attendances, hospital admissions and medical staffing in a Hong Kong university hospital: 5-year study | - |
dc.type | Article | - |
dc.description.nature | link_to_OA_fulltext | - |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1007/s12245-009-0098-7 | - |
dc.identifier.pmid | 20157463 | - |
dc.identifier.pmcid | PMC2760706 | - |
dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-77952741457 | - |
dc.identifier.volume | 2 | - |
dc.identifier.issue | 3 | - |
dc.identifier.spage | 141 | - |
dc.identifier.epage | 148 | - |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1865-1380 | - |
dc.identifier.isi | WOS:000215033400031 | - |
dc.identifier.issnl | 1865-1372 | - |