Clinician-led design for optimising flow: Seizing the opportunity for a new-build Australian Emergency Department

A new ED build creates a unique opportunity to improve the way we provide clinical care. Often, the focus is primarily on increasing clinical cubicle numbers but this may have a negligible, or even negative impact on care delivery. Instead, Australian EDs should examine the entire patient journey to inform design, reviewing outdated triage and registration models and maximising physical capacity by introducing advanced split-flow models that optimise clinical space and provide high-risk patients faster access to clinical care. Efficient ED patient flow is critical for success and is closely linked with departmental design, but too often this design process is delegated to architects with limited knowledge of ED function and with limited input from emergency clinicians. This relationship between clinicians and architects should remain collaborative but requires re-alignment. Independent, expert ED-specific designers can empower and provide valuable support for clinician-led design teams in their interactions with architects.