Care that is responsive to individual patient needs and values and that guides treatment decisions

Patient centred care in ED

  • informing and involving patients
  • eliciting and respecting patient preferences
  • engaging patients in the care process
  • treating patients with dignity
  • designing care process to suit patient needs, not providers
  • ready access to health information
  • continuity of care
  • First, do no harm!
    • Relieve your patients symptoms whenever possible
    • Always ask about pain, and chart analgesia early in the consultation
  • Our central concern is the patient’s well- being
    • Use this to guide your interaction with the patient
    • Remember this when having a difficult interaction with a referring team

Privacy and Consent

    Patients have a right to this.
    It is difficult to achieve in a busy ED:
  • Curtains are not sound proof!
  • The staff base is not in a cone of silence!
  • Be creative!
    Be careful where you leave notes containing sensitive information
    Do not give information out on the phone
    Technology is moving more rapidly than official policy, it is wise to exercise caution.
    Where transmission of x-rays or other images is required for clinical reasons, the patient should be verbally consented and the consent documented.
    Ideally photographs should be taken with the department’s camera and uploaded to PACS by radiology staff. Images can then be stored in the patient’s medical record, and emailed to staff members with a hospital email address.
    If personal devices such as mobile phones are used to collect or transmit images please ensure that the patient has provided consent, and that the image is not stored on your device or in the cloud.
Make yourself aware of the NSW Health policy on consent  PD 2005_406. Invasive or high risk procedures require formal written consent.
  • this includes lumbar puncture, blood transfusions, central access and procedural sedation.
  • make sure you are aware of the appropriate level of consent and any specific documents required

Remember the bio-psycho-social model of health care?

We have a variety of resources available to help with the psycho-social aspects of emergency care, including:
  • Chaplaincy Services
  • Drug and alcohol
  • Social work
  • Mental health
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