Steps to avoid emergency
A TOWNSVILLE University Hospital emergency department doctor and local GP are shining a light on how emergency departments and GPS work symbiotically to care for the community after hours.
Cranbrook Medical GP Dr Toni Weller said while people attending emergency departments out of hours was sometimes unavoidable, there were easy steps people could take to stay out of the ED.
“With many chronic health issues there are certain triggers and you may be able to anticipate when your condition is about to worsen,” she said.
“If you have asthma, you can go to your GP and create an asthma action plan. If you have diabetes and a wound is not healing, make sure you see your GP before it gets infected.
“Work with your GP to make a plan for what happens on your worst days; that is a good start to avoid an unnecessary visit to the emergency department.”
Dr Weller said she encouraged people to be proactive with their healthcare.
“Being proactive often means people don’t end up so unwell that they require an ED admission after hours,” she said.
Dr Weller said there were other benefits to having a trusted, regular GP.
“If you have a relationship with a GP, they may be able to also offer some telehealth appointments,” she said.
“Medicare legislates that you need to have seen your GP face-to-face in the past 12 months and have an existing relationship to do a telehealth appointment.
“This can come in handy for people who might not be able to come into the practice or just need some quick advice.”
Emergency department staff specialist Dr Deanne Crosbie said the emergency department was at its busiest after hours.
“Evenings, nights and weekends are peak times for the ED,” she said.
“It’s so important for people to know their options in the community and understand what is open late on weekdays and on weekends.
“We will always see patients at the ED, but I’d rather sit and wait at a GP than wait four hours in the ED if all I need is a script or a wound dressed.”
Dr Crosbie said many people in the community waited too long before seeking medical care which resulted in unplanned ED presentations.
“We know people who are unwell with chronic illnesses hold off because they don’t want to come up to the hospital and inevitably wait,” she said. “As their condition worsens, they end up presenting quite late in the day.”
Dr Crosbie said that if a patient’s condition did get to a point where they needed to present to the ED, having a good history with a GP was still important.
“If a 35-year-old-woman suddenly gets pelvic pain and she’s got a documented history with a GP we can ask what her GP was thinking, what investigations have been worked through and what diagnosis they were working on,” she said. “It allows us in the ED to know what has been ruled out, what has been considered and know which direction to take a person’s care.
“This allows for continuity of care which is so important. People who have continuity of care with a single GP don’t have to come to the ED very often.”
Dr Weller said she encouraged people to be empowered in their healthcare.
“If you know where and when to seek help you feel more in control,” she said.