Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
09:52

Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide

Published on: January 15, 2017

Positive impact of increased number of emergency consultants

Gary C Geelhoed1, Elizabeth A Geelhoed

  • 1School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, PO Box D184, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 6840. Gary.Geelhoed@health.wa.gov.au

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|September 5, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Increasing consultant staff in paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) significantly improved patient outcomes. This led to fewer admissions, reduced complaints, and shorter waiting times, proving cost-effective for hospitals.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Healthcare Management

Background:

  • Emergency departments (EDs) aim for optimal patient outcomes.
  • The impact of consultant staffing levels on ED performance requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of increased consultant staffing in a tertiary paediatric emergency department (PED).
  • To assess changes in admission rates, patient complaints, and waiting times.
  • To determine the cost-effectiveness of additional consultant medical staff.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study over a 10-year period in a tertiary PED.
  • Documented trends in consultant numbers, admissions, complaints, and waiting times.
  • Compared key performance indicators before and after consultant staff increases.

Main Results:

  • Consultant numbers increased from 2.6 to 6.2 full-time equivalents between 2000 and 2004.
  • Percentage of children admitted decreased by 27%.
  • Complaints fell by 41%, and average waiting time decreased by 15%.
  • Additional consultants generated net savings exceeding $A9.48 million annually.

Conclusions:

  • Increased consultant staffing in PEDs correlates with improved patient flow and satisfaction.
  • Enhanced consultant presence is a cost-effective strategy for improving paediatric emergency care.
  • This model demonstrates significant positive impacts on key ED performance metrics.

More Related Videos

Emergency Undocking in Robotic Surgery: A Simulation Curriculum06:48

Emergency Undocking in Robotic Surgery: A Simulation Curriculum

Published on: May 20, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR01:30

Methods of Documentation VII: EMR

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) primarily center around electronically documenting patients' health information within a single healthcare organization or practice. They contain essential clinical data related to a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, lab results, and other pertinent information relevant to the specific encounter or episode of care. EMRs are designed to streamline documentation and workflow processes within individual healthcare settings,...
Current Trends in Nursing II01:30

Current Trends in Nursing II

Trends in nursing are multifactorial and associated with changes in society, within the nursing profession, and in other professions. Notably, telehealth and remote nursing contribute to successful healthcare delivery for numerous patients and help reduce stress for nurses due to nursing shortages. Nurses can reach patients, monitor their conditions, and interact with them using computers, audio, visual accessories, and telephones—for example, remote patient monitoring systems. Likewise,...
Bystander Effect02:09

Bystander Effect

The discussion of bullying highlights the problem of witnesses not intervening to help a victim. This is a common occurrence, as the following well-publicized event demonstrates. In 1964, in Queens, New York, a 19-year-old woman named Kitty Genovese was attacked by a person with a knife near the back entrance to her apartment building and again in the hallway inside her apartment building. When the attack occurred, she screamed for help numerous times and eventually died from her stab wounds.
Current Trends in Nursing I01:28

Current Trends in Nursing I

Current trends in nursing include:
Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System01:29

Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System

The issues and trends in healthcare delivery are constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic is one recent issue that wreaked havoc on healthcare systems, causing a shortage of healthcare workers, high demand for medicines and supplies, and increased medical expenditure due to a lack of insurance. Other issues include rising healthcare costs and care fragmentation.
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model01:15

Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model

The case management model is a multidisciplinary approach that involves healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, and pharmacists, working collaboratively to address the various needs of patients. Each healthcare professional brings unique expertise and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition and tailoring treatment plans accordingly.
For example, a patient with a chronic illness...