What is it about?
The nature of mental health presentations brought to a hospital emergency department by ambulance using mental health act legislation. The appropriateness of the emergency department for management of these patients and the outcome of the presentations after assessment by the medical ED team and the 24 hour mental health team.
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Why is it important?
Our findings demonstrate the important role of a 24 hour mental health assessment team within the ED working alongside the ED medical team allowing for comprehensive and timely patient management and facilitation of hospital admission or discharge back into the community.
Perspectives
The introduction of mental health act legislation for use by paramedics in NSW has enabled appropriate management of patients with comorbid psychiatric and medical issues to occur in an emergency department setting. The burden on emergency services can be alleviated by the presence of a 24 hour mental health assessment team allowing for optimal patient care and outcomes.
Dr Michaela A Skopek
Central Coast Local Health Distrist
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Presentations by ambulance under the NSW Mental Health Act to an emergency department with a 24-hour mental health team, Australasian Psychiatry, July 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1039856216648807.
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