Quality Standards and Resource Toolkit

The Quality Standards and associated toolkit provide guidance and set expectations for the provision of equitable, safe, and high-quality emergency care in EDs and other hospital-based emergency care services.

Mental Health in the Emergency Department

Everyone has the right to timely access to appropriate mental health care.

Patient Safety in the Emergency Department

Emergency departments are busy, noisy and chaotic environments, making diagnostic, procedural and medication errors are an ever present risk in patient care.

Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Harm in the Emergency Department

Emergency departments are at the forefront of dealing with the harmful effects of alcohol and other drug use. Through advocacy, research and partnerships, we seek to play an active role in reducing this harm.

Climate Change and Emergency Medicine

ACEM is clear that emergency departments need to be prepared for and respond to disasters, including those caused by climate change.

Access Block

ACEM is proposing a new set of measures to address access block and overcrowding in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand emergency departments. We call these Hospital Access Targets.

Emergency Medicine Events Register

Emergency Medicine Events Register (EMER) is an adverse event and near-miss reporting system that is peer-led, online, anonymous and confidential. Its data is used to improve safety and quality in emergency medicine.

Triage

The Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) is a clinical tool used to establish the maximum waiting time for medical assessment and treatment of a patient.

Collaborative Partnerships

ACEM seeks to form collaborative partnerships with healthcare industry organisations, societies, and colleges to continually strive for a higher level of patient care.

We do this by:

  • Regularly revising and upgrading our training programs
  • Developing and maintaining standards for emergency medical care
  • Leading the policy debate in areas relating to emergency medicine (EM)
  • Providing trusted EM advice and research.

Taking action

We have also developed the following tools, approaches and solutions to address issues experienced in EM and Emergency Departments (EDs) today, including:

  • A range of research and advocacy work to address access block (over-crowding in hospitals)
  • The Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) - ACEM pioneered development of the ATS in the 1990s and have been the driving force behind its standardisation, implementation and ongoing revision.
  • Emergency Medicine Events Register (EMER) is an adverse event and near-miss reporting system that is peer-led, online, anonymous and confidential. Its data is used to improve safety and quality in emergency medicine.
TOPICS