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An Initiative to Reduce Ambulance Offload Delays in an Australian Emergency Department-A Time Series Analysis
Jeniffer Kim-Blackmore1, Morgan Jenkins1, Andy Lim2
1Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Background:
Ambulance offload delays result in poorer patient-level outcomes and decreased availability of emergency medical services for the community.
Objective:
This study aims to measure the effect of a dedicated intervention to improve ambulance offload.
Methods:
This study is an improvement initiative from November 2024 that streamlines offload based on agreed criteria, in-person physician review, and early treatment room access. Dynamic regression techniques were used to measure the postintervention change. The intervention was defined as commencing on November 1, 2024.
Results:
A total of 187, 301 patients presented between December 27, 2021, and March 17, 2025, of which 55,802 (29.8%) were ambulance arrivals. Overall, 39.7% (95% CI 39.3, 40.1) of patients were offloaded within 40 min of arrival. The intervention period was associated with a 16.4% (95% CI 12.0, 20.7, p < 0.0001) increase in the proportion of ambulance patients who were offloaded within the recommended 40-min timeframe.
Conclusion:
Empowering triage staff with predetermined offload criteria and access to early in-person physician review increases the proportion of ambulance patients being offloaded within 40 min.
