Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Managing access block.

Peter Cameron1, Paul Scown, Donald Campbell

  • 1Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Australian Health Review : a Publication of the Australian Hospital Association
|October 31, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Implementation of Electronic Clinical Decision Support for Radiology Referrals: The Role of Governance, Clinician Engagement and Education.

Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA·2026
Same author

Function and Quality of Life 5 Years Following Pediatric Major Trauma: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches·2026
Same author

Mechanical and manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation in traumatic cardiac arrest: a retrospective observational study.

European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society·2026
Same author

Impact of long COVID on diverse Australian populations: a multi-site, longitudinal prospective cohort study protocol.

BMJ open·2026
Same author

Heart Attack Education and EMS Response in High-Risk, Low EMS Usage Areas: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial.

JAMA network open·2026
Same author

Rare Osseous Metaplasia in a Hyperplastic Gastric Polyp.

ACG case reports journal·2026
Same journal

Corrigendum to: Changes in size and co-location of health services for Australian general practice, 2000-2016.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2026
Same journal

Data linkage for healthcare research: basics and important considerations.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2025
Same journal

Corrigendum to: Chronic breathlessness is associated with much longer lengths of hospital stay.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2025
Same journal

Corrigendum to: Telehealth use in Voluntary Assisted Dying: a systematic review.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2025
Same journal

Predictors of willingness to undergo back surgery: a survey of Australian privately insured adults with chronic back pain.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2025
Same journal

Factors associated with the retention and attrition of physiotherapists in Australia: insights from the Physiotherapy Attrition and Retention Collaboration project.

Australian health review : a publication of the Australian Hospital Association·2025
See all related articles

Clinician-led actions significantly reduced emergency department access block and ambulance diversions at Melbourne Health. The study demonstrates that implementing proven process improvements can effectively manage patient access in acute healthcare settings.

Area of Science:

  • Health Services Management
  • Hospital Operations
  • Patient Flow Optimization

Background:

  • The Acute Health Sector faces challenges managing patient access block for emergency and elective care.
  • Melbourne Health experienced a significant bed crisis in 2001, leading to prolonged emergency department (ED) delays and ambulance diversions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reduce access block for emergency patients.
  • To maintain elective patient throughput during the intervention.
  • To address the 2001 acute bed crisis at Melbourne Health.

Main Methods:

  • An observational study was conducted at Melbourne Health.
  • A clinician-led taskforce implemented 51 actions over three months.
  • Focus on proven organizational change principles to improve patient access.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Ambulance diversion decreased to minimal levels.
  • Emergency patients waiting over 12 hours for a bed reduced by 40%.
  • Elective throughput and theatre cancellations were maintained and minimized, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Clinician-led implementation of process improvements can effectively reduce access block.
  • Short-term interventions show significant positive impact on patient access.
  • Long-term sustainability of these changes requires further investigation.