Medical Assessment Units in NSW

Evidence Base

• McNeill GB, Brand C, Clark K, Jenkins G, Scott I, Thompson C, et al. Optimizing care for acute medical patients: the Australasian Medical Assessment Unit Survey. Intern Med J. 2011;41(1a):19-26.
• Tinetti M, Fried  T, Boyd C. Designing Health Care for the Most Common Chronic Conditions – Multimorbidity. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2012;307(23):2493-94.
• Brand CA, Kennedy MP, King-Kallimanis BL, Williams G, Bain CA, Russell DM. Evaluation of the impact of implementation of a Medical Assessment and Planning Unit on length of stay. Aust Health Rev. 2010;34(3):334-9.
• Forero R, Hillman KM, McCarthy S, Fatovich DM, Joseph AP, Richardson DB. Access block and ED overcrowding. Emergency medicine Australasia: EMA. 2010;22(2):119-35.
• Jenkins PF, Barton LL & Mc Neill GBS (2010) Contrasts in acute medicine: a comparison of the British and Australian systems for managing emergency medical patients, Medical Journal of Australia, 193(4):227-228
• Wiler JL, Gentle C, Halfpenny JM, Heins A, Mehrotra A, Mikhail MG, et al. Optimizing emergency department front-end operations. Ann Emerg Med. 2010;55(2):142-60 e1.
• Basic D & Khoo A (2009) Admission variables predicting short lengths of stay of acutely unwell older patients: relevance to emergency and medical short-stay units, Australian Health Review, 33(3): 502-512.
• Scott I, Vaughan L, Bell D. Effectiveness of acute medical units in hospitals: a systematic review. Int J Qual Health Care. 2009;21(6):397-407.
• Bell D, Skene H, Jones M, Vaughan L. A guide to the acute medical unit. Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2008;69(7):M107-9.
• Downing H, Scott C & Kelly K (2008) Evaluation of a dedicated short-stay unit for acute medical admissions, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(1): 18-20.
• Pippins JR, Gandhi TK, Hamann C, Ndumele CD, Labonville SA, Diedrichsen EK, et al. Classifying and predicting errors of inpatient medication reconciliation. J Gen Intern Med. 2008;23(9):1414-22.
• Wong JD, Bajcar JM, Wong GG, Alibhai SM, Huh JH, Cesta A, et al. Medication reconciliation at hospital discharge: evaluating discrepancies. The Annals of pharmacotherapy. 2008;42(10):1373-9.
• Bosch X, Aibar J, Capell S, et al. (2009) Quick diagnosis units: a potentially useful alternative to conventional hospitalisation, Medical Journal of Australia, 191 (9): 496-498.
• Gillespie U, Alassaad A, Henrohn D, Garmo H, Hammarlund-Udenaes M, Toss H, et al. A comprehensive pharmacist intervention to reduce morbidity in patients 80 years or older: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(9):894-900.
• Newnham HH, Campbell HT, Jenkins PF et al (2009) Acute medical admissions in our hospitals: getting it right, Medical Journal of Australia, 191 (1):9-10.
• National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death Report (NCEPOD) (2007) Emergency Admissions: A Journey in the right direction?, NCEPOD, London.
• Cameron PA (2006) Hospital overcrowding: a threat to patient safety? Managing access block involves reducing hospital demand and optimising bed capacity, Medical Journal of Australia, 184:203-204.
• Henley J, Bennett C, Williamson J et al. (2006) Position Statement of Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand: Standards for Medical Assessments and Planning Units in Public and Private Hospitals, Internal Medicine Society of Australia & New Zealand, Sydney.
• Lambert L (2006) The consultant physician and the acute medical assessment unit, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6(3): 234-235.
• Richardson DB (2006) Increase in patient mortality at 10 days associated with emergency department overcrowding, Medical journal of Australia, 184:213-216.
• Sprivulis PC, Da Silva J, Jacobs IG, et al. (2006) The association between hospital overcrowding and mortality among patients admitted via Western Australian emergency departments, Medical Journal of Australia, 184:208-212.
• Cornish PL, Knowles SR, Marchesano R, Tam V, Shadowitz S, Juurlink DN, et al. Unintended medication discrepancies at the time of hospital admission. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(4):424-9.
• Tam VC, Knowles SR, Cornish PL, Fine N, Marchesano R, Etchells EE. Frequency, type and clinical importance of medication history errors at admission to hospital: a systematic review. CMAJ. 2005;173(5):510-5.
• Carroll L (2004) Clinical skills for nurses in medical assessment units, Nursing Standard, 18(42) 33-40.
• Royal College of Physicians Working Party Report (2004) Acute Medicine: Making it work for patients, Royal College of Physicians, London.
• Ashby RH (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: Queensland, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 107-108.
• Cameron PA (2003) Access block: problems and progress, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 99-100.
• Cameron PA (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 109-110.
• Fatovich DM (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: Royal Perth Hospital, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 108-109.
• Hammett RJH & Robinson BG (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: Royal North Shore Hospital, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 105-107.
• Hill KN (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: The Alfred Hospital, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 110-11.
• Richardson DB (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 103 – 104.
• Ruffin RE & Hooper JK (2003) Responses to access block in Australia: The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Medical Division, Medical Journal of Australia, 178(3): 104-105.
• Richardson DB (2002) The access-block effect: relationship between delay to reaching an inpatient bed and inpatient length of stay, Medical Journal of Australia, 177:492-495.
• Black CM (2000) Acute Medicine: the physician's future role, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians, 34(3).
• Egan JM, Webber MGT, King MRD, et al. (2000) The Hospitalist: a third alternative, Medical Journal of Australia, 172: 335-338.
• Bates DW, Miller EB, Cullen DJ, et al. (1999) Patient risk factors for adverse drug events in hospitalized patients, Archives of Internal Medicine, 159:2553-2560.

Contact

Anthea Temple
Manager, Acute Care Taskforce
Agency for Clinical Innovation
anthea.temple@health.nsw.gov.au
Ph: 02 9464 4623 | 0467 711 274