Factors Influencing Medication Administration Errors as Perceived by Nurses in Pediatric Units in a Jordanian Tertiary Hospital: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization declared that medication errors are the third largest global patient safety challenge. The medication administration stage is a common and susceptible stage for medical errors to occur. OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors contributing to medication administration errors specifically in pediatric care units as perceived by nurses in a Jordanian hospital. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted involving face-to-face audio-recorded interviews with 9 nurses in a tertiary hospital located in the north of Jordan. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the participants of our study. Data were collected between October 2022 and November 2022. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged affecting medication administration errors in pediatric care units. These were environmental, staff, parents and patient, and medication-related factors. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study raise awareness of the most frequent sources of medication errors in a Jordanian hospital. Holding training and supervision to raise awareness among nurses and the availability of equipment and supplies could improve medication safety practices.

Qualitative evaluation of missed nursing care in neonatal intensive care units in a teaching hospital in Jordan.

PURPOSE: Missed nursing care (MNC) is a worldwide patient safety issue. However, little is known about MNC in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The aim of this paper is to explore the elements and factors influencing the occurrence of MNC in the NICU in a teaching hospital in Amman, Jordan. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study used a qualitative descriptive design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with NICU nurses. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants and data collection was performed in the period August 2022 to September 2022. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The participants included 15 female nurses. The majority of the participants held a bachelor's degree in nursing. Five themes emerged from the analysis of data namely: (1) Conceptualizations of MNC (2) Missed care elements in the NICU (3) Reasons behind MNC in the NICU (4) Consequences of MNC and (5) Strategies to reduce the occurrence of MNC. Feeding,changing diapers, monitoring vital signs, and medication administrationwere identified as missed care elements in the NICU. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research may inform the development of interventions that may reduce missed care incidents in the NICU. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Addressing staff shortages and the provision of necessary materials and equipment appear to be the key factors that may reduce the frequency of MNC. Thus, enhancing patient safety and quality healthcare in this challenging healthcare environment.

Determining the Impact of Heatwaves on Emergency Ambulance Calls in Queensland: A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

Heatwaves are a significant and growing threat to the health and well-being of the residents of Queensland, Australia. This threat is increasing due to climate change. Excess heat increases the demand for health services, including ambulance calls, and the purpose of this study was to explore this impact across Queensland. A state-wide retrospective analysis of heatwaves and emergency 'Triple Zero' (000) calls to Queensland Ambulance (QAS) from 2010-2019 was undertaken. Call data from the QAS and heatwave data from the Bureau of Meteorology were analysed using a case-crossover approach at the postcode level. Ambulance calls increased by 12.68% during heatwaves. The effect was greatest during low-severity heatwaves (22.16%), followed by severe (14.32%) and extreme heatwaves (1.16%). The impact varied by rurality, with those living in very remote areas and major cities most impacted, along with those of low and middle socioeconomic status during low and severe intensity heat events. Lag effects post-heatwave continued for at least 10 days. Heatwaves significantly increase ambulance call centre workload, so ambulance services must actively prepare resources and personnel to address increases in heatwave frequency, duration, and severity. Communities must be informed of the risks of heatwaves at all severities, particularly low severity, and the sustained risks in the days following a heat event.

Heatwaves and mortality in Queensland 2010-2019: implications for a homogenous state-wide approach.

Heatwaves are a significant cause of adverse health outcomes and mortality in Australia, worsening with climate change. In Queensland, the northeastern-most state, little is known about the impact of heatwaves outside of the capital city of Brisbane. This study aims to explore the impact of heatwaves on mortality across various demographic and environmental conditions within Queensland from 2010 to 2019. The Excess Heat Factor was used to indicate heatwave periods at the Statistical Area 2 (SA2) level. Registered deaths data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and heatwave data from the Bureau of Meteorology were matched using a case-crossover approach. Relative risk and 95% confidence intervals were calculated across years, regions, age, sex, rurality, socioeconomic status, and cause of death. Heatwaves were associated with a 5% increase in all-cause mortality compared to deaths on non-heatwave days, with variability across the state. The risk of death on a heatwave day versus a non-heatwave day varied by heatwave severity. Individuals living in urban centers, the elderly, and those living in regions of lower socioeconomic status were most impacted by heatwave mortality. The relative risk of dying from neoplasms, nervous system conditions, respiratory conditions, and mental and behavioral conditions increased during heatwaves. As heatwaves increase in Queensland due to climate change, understanding the impact of heatwaves on mortality across Queensland is important to tailor public health messages. There is considerable variability across communities, demographic groups, and medical conditions, and as such messages need to be tailored to risk.

Missed Nursing Care in Medical and Surgical Wards in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Missed nursing care is a multifaceted patient safety issue receiving increased attention among healthcare scholars worldwide. There is limited research on missed nursing care in the Jordanian healthcare context. The current study sought to examine the perceptions of Jordanian nurses toward the amount and types of missed nursing care in medical and surgical wards. We also examined the differences in missed care items between public, private, and university hospitals in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study using the MISSCARE Survey tool. Data collection spanned 4 months between March and July 2021. The final study sample consisted of 672 registered nurses employed in five public, three private, and two university hospitals in Jordan. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficent test. Of the 672 registered nurses who participated, the majority were females (n = 421; 62.6%). Most participants held a bachelor's degree in nursing (n = 577; 85.9%). The three most common missed nursing activities in the participating hospitals were: ambulation, oral care, and emotional support. Nurses working in public hospitals reported the highest missed nursing care. The age and number of patients under care significantly correlated with missed nursing care. The findings could help nursing managers develop plans to reduce missed nursing care in their healthcare institutions.

Opportunistic Mental Health Screening: Is there a Role Following a Disaster? Lessons from the 2010-2011 Queensland (Australia) Floods and Cyclones.

BACKGROUND: Following the 2010-2011 floods and cyclones that affected 78% of Queensland, Australia, a State-wide mental health response was established. The response plan included a 24-hour access line. This study examines the effectiveness of the mental health screening program conducted via the State-wide health call center (13HEALTH) in 2012. METHODS: Callers to the 13HEALTH line were screened to assess the impact of the disaster. The 13HEALTH clinicians administered the Primary Care-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PC-PTSD) screening measure. Those scoring more than two on the PC-PTSD Scale were provided information on the emotional impact of disasters and a referral to the post-disaster specialist mental health program (SMHP). For calls related to those under 18, a single-item question assessed behavioral or emotional changes since the natural disasters. Those with identified changes were offered a referral to a post-disaster SMHP.The study evaluates the relationship between disaster exposure and the likelihood of 13HEALTH callers experiencing physical health concerns and unacknowledged mental health symptoms. The program's cost for the 12 months of 2012 was assessed using data from the financial contract. RESULTS: In 2012, there were 205,064 calls to 13HEALTH: 19,708 identified as residing in a flood or cyclone-affected area, 7,315 adults indicated they were personally affected, and 907 scored more than two on the PC-PTSD Scale. Only 700 agreed to a referral to the SMHP. There were 290 children under 18 assessed as at risk; 207 accepted a referral to a SMHP.Regions that experienced a greater impact from the floods and cyclones were 1.3-2.3 times more likely to report being personally affected by the floods and cyclones. Similarly, these regions had more callers scoring more than two on the PC-PTSD Scale. The total cost of the 13HEALTH program for 2012 was $53,284 (AU) across all age groups. CONCLUSION: The 13HEALTH general health post-disaster screening program demonstrates opportunistic screening may assist identification of those with unmet mental health needs. The data indicate an increased likelihood of personal exposure in the more affected regions with an increased risk of unrecognized psychological symptoms as assessed by the PC-PTSD Scale. However, more than 20% declined referral to a SMHP.

A Cross-sectional Study Evaluating the Association Between the Nursing Practice Environment and Missed Nursing Care in Medical and Surgical Wards in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Missed nursing care can jeopardize the safety of patients. The practice environment contains various elements that may impact nursing staff's capability to provide appropriate care. PURPOSE: To examine the association between the practice environment and missed nursing care in Jordanian hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional design, including the MISSCARE survey and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, was used for this study. RESULTS: Data were gathered from 672 nurses working in 10 hospitals between March and July 2021. Findings revealed significant negative correlations between nurses' participation in hospital affairs ( r = -0.077, P = .046), nursing foundations for quality of care ( r = -0.139, P < .001), and missed nursing care. CONCLUSION: Information from this study can help nursing leaders modify practice environment elements that impact missed nursing care occurrences, which will help improve the quality of care provided to patients.

A scoping review of the literature of interventions for enhancing nurses' resilience in acute care settings.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate interventions shown to improve nurse resilience in the acute care settings. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study was a systematically conducted scoping review of the literature. Databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Emerald insight and Google Scholar were searched and this complemented by reviews of the reference lists. FINDINGS: In total, 13 papers were included in the review but there was limited evidence of the effectiveness of individual programs. The authors found that resilience training programs for individuals reviewed provided some evidence for the effectiveness of the training. However, the context of job design, work risks and leadership require attention. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Resilience is an important requirement for nursing staff that helps to mitigate the stress of the working environment, particularly in the acute care setting. However, the managerial strategies required to build resilience are not well known or applied. The findings of this research may help to design cohesive and comprehensive management programs to promote and preserve nursing resilience in acute care settings. Any such program needs to reflect the four key themes that appear to underpin resilience: relationships, motivation, emotions and well-being.

Mental Health Response to Disasters: Is There a Role for a Primary Care-Based Clinician?

INTRODUCTION: Following natural disasters, rural general practitioners (GPs) are expected to undertake several roles, including identifying those experiencing psychological distress and providing evidence-informed mental health care. This paper reports on a collaborative mental health program developed to support a rural GP practice (population <1,500) and a disaster response service. METHODS: The program provided specialized disaster mental health care via the placement of a clinician in the GP facility. In collaboration with the GP practice, the program offered opportunistic screening using the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (PC-PTSD) for probable PTSD as the primary measure and the Kessler 6 (K6) as a secondary measure. Those scoring higher than two on the PC-PTSD scale were referred to the mental health clinician (MHC) for further assessment and treatment. RESULTS: Sixty screening assessments were completed. Fourteen patients (male = 3; female = 11) scored higher than two on the PC-PTSD. The referred group PC-PTSD mean score was 3.14 and K6 mean score of 19. Those not referred had a PC-PTSD mean score = 0.72 and K6 mean score = 7.30. The treatment and non-treatment groups differed significantly (PC-PTSD: P <.00001 and K6: P <.00001). A prior history of trauma exposure was notable in the intervention group. Eight reported a history of domestic violence, seven histories of sexual abuse, five childhood sexual abuse, and eight intimate partner violence (IPV). CONCLUSION: A post-disaster integrated GP and mental health program in a rural community can assist in identifying individuals experiencing post-disaster psychological distress using opportunistic psychological screening. The findings indicate that collaborative mental health programs may effectively support rural communities post-disaster.

Missed nursing care: a snapshot case study in a medical ward in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Missed nursing care is a global issue in acute healthcare settings. It is a complex phenomenon that refers to nursing care that is required by patients but left undone or significantly delayed. AIM: To investigate the nature of missed nursing care and influencing factors in a general medical ward in an acute care hospital in Brisbane, Australia. METHOD: This is a descriptive case study. The study was carried out in a 29-bed inpatient general medical/cardiology/telemetry ward in an acute care tertiary hospital. RESULTS: The study ward has been identified as a high complexity unit. The survey data found that the most frequent nursing care elements missed, as reported by the patients, were oral care, response to machine beep, and response to call light. The most frequent nurse-reported missed care items were ambulation, monitoring fluid intake/output and attendance at interdisciplinary conferences. CONCLUSION: Despite mandating nurse-to-patient ratios in the study ward, inadequate staffing was still perceived as being problematic and one of the most frequent reasons leading to missed nursing care. This possible disconnect between mandated staffing ratios and the persistence of perceived missed care suggests a more complex relationship than can be managed by macro (large-scale) resourcing formulas alone.

Safety culture in emergency medicine: An exploratory qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Safety culture in Emergency Departments (EDs) requires special attention due to unique operational feature of the ED environment. Which may influence a culture of patients' safety in the ED. OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that influence patient safety culture in EDs. METHODS: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 12 ED staff was carried out in two Australian EDs. The data was thematically analysed to identify and describe the factors perceived by staff as influencing patient safety culture. RESULTS: The findings revealed four super-ordinate themes and 19 categories. The themes were the following: (1) Environmental and Organisational; (2) Healthcare Professional (3) Managerial factors; and (4) Patients factors. CONCLUSIONS: Safety culture in the ED is influenced by complex set of factors. The results of this study may help ED workers with improving patient safety culture and healthcare quality in the ED.

General Practitioners' Roles in Disaster Health Management: Perspectives of Disaster Managers.

INTRODUCTION: General Practitioners (GPs) are inevitably involved when disaster strikes their communities. Evidence of health care needs in disasters increasingly suggests benefits from greater involvement of GPs, and recent research has clarified key roles. Despite this, GPs continue to be disconnected from disaster health management (DHM) in most countries. STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of disaster management professionals in two countries, across a range of all-hazard disasters, regarding the roles and contributions of GPs to DHM, and to identify barriers to, and benefits of, more active engagement of GPs in disaster health care systems. METHODS: A qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interviews was conducted with a purposive sample of Disaster Managers (DMs) to explore their perspectives arising from experiences and observations of GPs during disasters from 2009 through 2016 in Australia or New Zealand. These involved all-hazard disasters including natural, man-made, and pandemic disasters. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: These findings document support from DM participants for greater integration of GPs into DHM with New Zealand DMs reporting GPs as already a valuable integrated contributor. In contrast, Australian DMs reported barriers to inclusion that needed to be addressed before sustained integration could occur. The two most strongly expressed barriers were universally expressed by Australian DMs: (1) limited understanding of the work GPs undertake, restricting DMs' ability to facilitate GP integration; and (2) DMs' difficulty engaging with GPs as a single group. Other considerations included GPs' limited DHM knowledge, limited preparedness, and their heightened vulnerability.Strategies identified to facilitate greater integration of GPs into DHM where it is lacking, such as Australia, included enhanced communication, awareness, and understanding between GPs and DMs. CONCLUSION: Experience from New Zealand shows systematic, sustained integration of GPs into DHM systems is achievable and valuable. Findings suggest key factors are collaboration between DMs and GPs at local, state, and national levels of DHM in planning and preparedness for the next disaster. A resilient health care system that maximizes capacity of all available local health resources in disasters and sustains them into the recovery should include General Practice.

Optimising emergency department and acute care for people experiencing mental health problems: a nominal group study.

Objective The aim of this study was to identify potential model of care approaches and systems processes for people presenting to acute healthcare settings with mental health problems, including mental illnesses. Methods Five (consensus) nominal group technique sessions were conducted in 2019 with a purposive sample of stakeholders from health, police, ambulance and consumer agencies (n = 21). Sessions were recorded, transcribed and analysed for thematic content. Results Potential model of care approaches and systems processes for people with mental health problems in the emergency department include: a skilled collaborative approach to care; consumer-focused service; knowledge improvement; early assessment; the development of models, systems and processes; and the built environment. In the broader acute care setting, the themes of formal care, linking of services, enhancing informal and innovative care options, improving information sharing and enhancing training and education were identified. Conclusions Coherent and multifaceted approaches to the provision of care to people with mental health problems and diagnosed mental illnesses who are requiring emergency care include the linking and sharing of systems and information, changing the built environment and exploring new models of service delivery. What is known about the topic? There is considerable evidence of interventions used in the emergency department and acute healthcare settings for this vulnerable group of people with mental health problems and diagnosed mental illnesses; however, the evidence for appropriate model of care approaches and systems processes is limited. What does this paper add? For people with mental health problems in emergency departments and for people with diagnosed mental illnesses in acute care settings, targeted directions to further support treatment include the linking and sharing of systems and information, changing the built environment and exploring new models of service delivery. What are the implications for practitioners? Planning changes to services for mental health clients with acute problems needs to incorporate clinicians, health service planners, architects and a range of emergency services personnel.

Strategies and interventions for improving safety culture in Australian Emergency Departments: A modified Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety and safety culture are critical for quality healthcare delivery in general and in Emergency Departments (EDs) in particular. The aim of this study is to identify strategies that may contribute to the improvement and maintenance of patient safety culture and which are considered most feasible in the ED environment. METHODS: A two-step modified Delphi method with 11 experts' panel was performed to establish consensus. A list of potential expert participants with a background in patient safety culture in EDs was compiled through the professional networks of the supervisory team. Snowball sampling was used to identify additional possible participants. The expert panel included key leaders in the emergency medicine community in Queensland, Australia: patient safety experts and researchers, patient safety directors, and healthcare providers in an Australian ED The study ran from September 2018 to December 2018. The tool used in Round 1 in this study was developed through triangulating the outcomes of a review of literature, results from a survey of ED staff and findings from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in ED. The results from Round 1 informed the development of the Round 2 tool. The responses from the Delphi Round 1 tool were analysed as both qualitative data and quantitative data. The responses from the Delphi Round 2 tool were treated as quantitative data and analysed with the SPSS software. Consensus was calculated based on more than 80% agreement in collapsed categories 1 and 2 (or 4 and 5) of the five-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Only six strategies out of 17 (35%) achieved consensus for both importance and feasibility. These strategies may therefore be considered the most important and feasible key strategies for improving safety culture in EDs. Seven strategies (41.1%) achieved consensus for importance, but not for feasibility and four strategies (23.55%) did not achieve consensus for either importance or feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers practical solutions for safety culture improvement in the ED context. Six key strategies were seen as both important and feasible and these grouped into three main themes; leadership through agenda setting, operational management approaches to reinforce the agenda and commitment, and systems and structures to reinforce the agenda and monitor progress.

Disaster Management in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to map the roles of rural and remote primary health care professionals (PHCPs) during disasters. INTRODUCTION: Disasters can have catastrophic impacts on society and are broadly classified into natural events, man-made incidents, or a mixture of both. The PHCPs working in rural and remote communities face additional challenges when dealing with disasters and have significant roles during the Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (PPRR) stages of disaster management. METHODS: A Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology was utilized, and the search was conducted over seven electronic databases according to a priori protocol. RESULTS: Forty-one papers were included and sixty-one roles were identified across the four stages of disaster management. The majority of disasters described within the literature were natural events and pandemics. Before a disaster occurs, PHCPs can build individual resilience through education. As recognized and respected leaders within their community, PHCPs are invaluable in assisting with disaster preparedness through being involved in organizations' planning policies and contributing to natural disaster and pandemic surveillance. Key roles during the response stage include accommodating patient surge, triage, maintaining the health of the remaining population, instituting infection control, and ensuring a team-based approach to mental health care during the disaster. In the aftermath and recovery stage, rural and remote PHCPs provide long-term follow up, assisting patients in accessing post-disaster support including delivery of mental health care. CONCLUSION: Rural and remote PHCPs play significant roles within their community throughout the continuum of disaster management. As a consequence of their flexible scope of practice, PHCPs are well-placed to be involved during all stages of disaster, from building of community resilience and contributing to early alert of pandemics, to participating in the direct response when a disaster occurs and leading the way to recovery.

Missed nursing care and complexity theory: a conceptual paper.

BACKGROUND: Missed nursing care is a complex healthcare problem. Extant literature in this area identifies several interventions that can be used in acute hospital settings to minimise the impact of missed nursing care. However, controversy still exists as to the effectiveness of these interventions on reducing the occurrence of missed nursing care. AIM: This theoretical paper aimed to provide a conceptual understanding of missed nursing care using complexity theory. METHODS: The method utilised for this paper is based on a literature review on missed care and complexity theory in healthcare. RESULTS: We found that the key virtues of complexity theory relevant to the missed nursing care phenomenon were adaptation and self-organisation, non-linear interactions and history. It is suggested that the complex adaptive systems approach may be more useful for nurse managers to inform and prepare nurses to meet uncertain encounters in their everyday clinical practice and therefore reduce instances of missed care. CONCLUSIONS: This paper envisions that it is time that methods used to explore missed care changed. Strategies proposed in this paper may have an important impact on the ability of nursing staff to provide quality and innovative healthcare in the modern healthcare system.

Measuring More than Mortality: A scoping review of air ambulance outcome measures in a combined Institutes of Medicine and Donabedian quality framework.

INTRODUCTION: Measuring the performance of air ambulance services are complex and dynamic due to the variability and interconnectedness of emergency systems. The aim of this study is to review the range and nature of air ambulance outcome measures published in peer review articles and construct a quality framework based on the results. A scoping review of the literature was conducted to identify outcome measures that evaluate the quality of air ambulance services. Combined frameworks from the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and Dr. Avedia Donabedian were used to create a dashboard structure for a framework of air ambulance outcome measures. METHODS: A literature search strategy was undertaken, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines and included eight databases over the period 2001-2019. Qualitative content analysis was conducted in 4-phases: 1) table summary of selected article outcome measures, 2) content analysis themes, codes of outcome measures and independent variables 3) narrative description of main themes 4) visual dashboard diagram of service priorities and quality strategies, based on the findings. RESULTS: Thirty-four articles were screened by full text and eighteen met the selection criteria. Twenty codes emerged and were grouped to form eight consistent outcome themes; asset/ team type, access to definitive interventions, prehospital factors, mortality, morbidity, responsiveness of service, accessibility of service and patient disposition. CONCLUSIONS: A quality framework consisting of eight outcome measures was created, it also identified seven gaps which ordinarily require performance evaluation; patient comfort and satisfaction reporting, cultural awareness training, safety alarms in place to identify volume stress, optimal coordination of resources, cost of service analysis, comprehensive patient journey time and an adaptive referral system analysis. The measures in the framework provide a broad perspective of air ambulance performance we believe will help decision-making and planning to improve patients experience and outcomes.

Can publicly reported data be used to understand performance in an Australian rural hospital?

BACKGROUND: Despite agreement among policymakers, funders, consumers and researchers about the value of public reporting of health information, limited attention has been paid to how it can be used to understand the performance of rural hospitals. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether publicly available information can be used to measure health service performance in a rural hospital. METHOD: The study used performance data routinely reported for public consumption in Australia. Data across four domains, multiple measures and time periods were collected to examine access and equity; efficiency and sustainability; quality, safety and patient orientation; and employee engagement. Performance of the rural hospital was examined using a visualisation tool. RESULTS: Visualisation of multiple measures of performance over time was achievable but required a high degree of health information management skills. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Publicly reported data can be used to represent performance for a rural hospital. Timeliness, level of detail available and peer groupings of data limits optimal utility. Consumers, clinicians and health service managers wanting to understand the performance of rural hospitals will need to use significant health information management skills to gain a picture of performance. Further research in the applied use of publicly available performance data and relevant dashboards for rural hospitals is suggested.

Impact of the Four-Hour Rule policy on emergency medical services delays in Australian EDs: a longitudinal cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Delayed handover of emergency medical services (EMS) patients to EDs is a major issue with hospital crowding considered a primary cause. We explore the impact of the 4-hour rule (the Policy) in Australia, focusing on ambulance and ED delays. METHODS: EMS (ambulance), ED and hospital data of adult patients presenting to 14 EDs from 2002 to 2013 in three jurisdictions were linked. Interrupted time series 'Before-and-After' trend analysis was used for assessing the Policy's impact. Random effects meta-regression analysis was examined for associations between ambulance delays and Policy-associated ED intake, throughput and output changes. RESULTS: Before the Policy, the proportion of ED ambulances delayed increased between 1.1% and 1.7% per quarter across jurisdictions. After Policy introduction, Western Australia's increasing trend continued but Queensland decreased by 5.1% per quarter. In New South Wales, ambulance delay decreased 7.1% in the first quarter after Policy introduction. ED intake (triage delay) improved only in New South Wales and Queensland. Each 1% ambulance delay reduction was significantly associated with a 0.91% reduction in triage delay (p=0.014) but not ED length of stay ≤4 hours (p=0.307) or access-block/boarding (p=0.605) suggesting only partial improvement in ambulance delay overall. CONCLUSION: The Policy was associated with reduced ambulance delays over time in Queensland and only the immediate period in New South Wales. Associations may be due to local jurisdictional initiatives to improve ambulance performance. Strategies to alleviate ambulance delay may need to focus on the ED intake component. These should be re-examined with longer periods of post-Policy data.