Characteristics and outcomes of emergency department presentations brought in by police with and without an emergency examination authority: A state-wide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics and patient and health service outcomes of emergency department (ED) presentations brought in by police with and without an emergency examination authority. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of adult (≥ 18 years old) presentations brought in by police to EDs in Queensland, Australia from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2020. Routinely collected ED data were used to describe and compare the demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of people brought in by police with and without an emergency examination authority. RESULTS: A total of 42 502 adult ED presentations were brought in by police over the three-year period, of which 22 981 (44.7%) had an emergency examination authority. Compared with presentations brought in by police without an emergency examination authority, those brought in by police with an emergency examination authority had a higher proportion of presentations for mental health problems, were from major cities, and were allocated more urgent Australasian Triage Scale categories. Presentations brought in by police with an emergency examination authority were less likely to be seen within their Australasian Triage Scale timeframe and experienced a longer length of stay than those brought in by police without an emergency examination authority whether admitted (217 mins vs. 186 mins, p < 0.001) or discharged (212 mins vs. 97 mins, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics and outcomes of people brought in by police with emergency examination authorities differed to those brought in by police without emergency examination authorities. Further research is required to enhance understanding of this relatively unexplored group of people and foster interagency collaborations.

Leadership conceptions of nurses and physicians in emergency care: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The Emergency Department (ED) is a setting where teamwork and leadership is imperative, however, the literature to date is mostly discipline (nursing or medical) specific. This scoping review aimed to map what is known about nurses' and physicians' conceptions of leadership in the ED to understand similarities, differences, and opportunities for leadership development and research. METHOD: Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute approach, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Guidelines, a systematic search of three electronic databases was performed. The Mixed Methods Assessment Tool was used for quality appraisal of included articles. RESULTS: In total, 37 articles were included. Four key findings emerged: 1) leadership was rarely explicitly defined; 2) nurse leaders tended to be characterised as agents of continuity whilst physician leaders tended to be characterised as agents of change and continuity; 3) the clarification of expectations from nurse leaders was more evident than expectations from physician leaders; and 4) leadership discourse tended to be traditional rather than contemporary. CONCLUSION: Despite the proliferation of studies into ED nurse, physician and interprofessional leadership, opportunities exist to integrate learnings from other sectors to strengthen the development of current and next generation of ED leaders.