Effective allied health teams in hospital emergency departments

Abstract

While care coordination or allied health teams have been well established in emergency departments for well over a decade, there is little research evidence that identifies the unique characteristics or roles of these interdisciplinary teams that enhance patient care and contribute to the achievement of hospital targets. Most research has tended to focus exclusively on patient outcomes alone. Within this context, this study sought to examine the particular interdisciplinary model in place within the Allied Health Team within the Emergency Department of The Alfred. It explored whether the Emergency Department staff are satisfied with the resource and if they could identify the benefits of the team to both patient care and the efficiency of the emergency department (ED).

The aim of the study was to consider this issue in comparison to literature relating to other similar types of services, teamwork and team characteristic. The research design incorporated a survey of 168 Emergency Department staff. The key areas examined in this staff survey were that of the Allied Health Team’s referral processes, communication and involvement in patient care, as well the benefits of having the resource and possible improvements.

The findings indicate that there was a high satisfaction with this particular service and the interdisciplinary model used. In this way, the study contributes to the literature relating to these types of resources and best practice. Respondents highlighted a need for a seven-day a week service with all allied health disciplines available. The majority of the respondents reported that the impact of the team’s work improved patient care and discharge planning. Respondents commented on the positive impact on management of the Emergency Department workload. They saw that the Allied Health Team’s input was to improve patient care and discharge, freeing them to continue to address the specific medical issues at hand. This research provides an additional lens to view the contribution of these types of teams to health care efficacy and to consider service development, educational opportunities and further research in this area.