Elsevier

Annals of Emergency Medicine

Volume 28, Issue 3, September 1996, Pages 342-346
Annals of Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine in Australia,☆☆,

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-0644(96)70036-7Get rights and content

Abstract

[Cameron PA, Bradt DA, Ashby R: Emergency medicine in Australia. Ann Emerg Med September 1996;28:342-346.]

Section snippets

HEALTH CARE BACKGROUND

Australia is a highly developed country that ranks among the best in terms of health status. Compared with the United States, Australia enjoys lower rates of infant mortality, under-5-year mortality, and standardized mortality rates, as well as a longer life expectancy at birth and better immunization coverage.1 Australia achieves these indicators despite lower per capita health expenditures than the United States. Table 1 presents selected health indicators for the two countries.

National

SPECIALTY RECOGNITION

As a British Commonwealth country, specialties in allopathic medicine evolved on the British model. Primary health care was traditionally provided by the general practitioner (GP), who was office based and lacked major public hospital admission rights. Referral care was provided by the specialist, who was office based and maintained hospital admitting rights. Emergency care was commonly provided by GPs at rural hospitals or by junior medical staff at urban teaching hospitals.

In 1967, the first

EMERGENCY MEDICINE TRAINING

Medical school training in Australia traditionally lasts 5 or 6 years. Undergraduate emergency medicine education is still seen as being in the domain of older, established specialties. Universities may have dedicated emergency medicine curricula, yet there are no autonomous university medical school departments of emergency medicine in Australia. However, it is expected that the first chair in emergency medicine will be established shortly.

Postgraduate emergency medicine training lasts 7

EMERGENCY MEDICINE PRACTICE

Approximately 700 to 800 hospitals in Australia receive acute care patients, and most of these have emergency reception areas. Hospital-based emergency medicine is practiced mainly in the 67 major institutions accredited for emergency medicine training. These institutions receive the vast majority of seriously ill or injured emergency patients. A statistical profile for the United States and Australia is presented in Table 3.

Physician staffing at most major urban EDs comprises two to seven

EMERGENCY MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION AND RESEARCH

Clinical care is the fundamental activity of emergency medicine specialists in Australia. Even at academic medical centers, where the usual working week is in 45 to 65 hours, the main activity is clinical in nature. Administrative time spent by department directors may eclipse clinical time. Formal classroom teaching is a relatively minor activity occupying less than 5 hours per week. Emergency medicine research is also relatively embryonic. Work to date has focused on health systems,

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From the Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia*; and the Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

☆☆

Address for reprints: Dr Peter Cameron, Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Parade, Parkville 3050, Melbourne, Australia

Reprint no. 47/1/75956

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