Working Environment in a Virtual Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Digital Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Virtual emergency departments (VEDs) represent an evolving model of care delivery.
• Assessing staff perceptions is crucial for understanding the operational success and sustainability of VEDs.
• Multidisciplinary staff experiences in VEDs require investigation to inform future healthcare strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure multidisciplinary staff perceptions of the working environment in a virtual emergency department.
• To evaluate staff attitudes towards telemedicine within a virtual ED setting.
• To compare virtual ED staff experiences with those reported in physical emergency departments.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 63 staff members in a South Australian virtual ED in September 2024.
• The survey included the Working Environment Scale (WES-10), questions on telemedicine attitudes, and open-ended queries on work attractors and challenges.
• Descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistics were used for quantitative data, with content analysis for qualitative data.

Main Results:

• The response rate was 52% (n=33), including clerical staff, doctors, nurses, and a paramedic.
• Working Environment Scale (WES-10) scores indicated positive perceptions, particularly for Self-realisation, comparable to or better than physical EDs.
• Staff generally held positive attitudes towards telemedicine, though with reservations on professional development and virtual care preference. Novel care delivery and workplace culture were key attractors; assessment limitations were the primary challenge.

Conclusions:

• Staff in virtual emergency departments perceive their work environment and telemedicine positively.
• Attraction to virtual EDs stems from the delivery of novel healthcare models and positive workplace culture.
• Enhanced consistency in the measurement of the working environment, such as using the WES-10, is recommended for future studies.