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More Tasmanian health staff are receiving additional training to enhance emergency care in rural and regional areas, helping to improve outcomes for patients across the Tasmanian community.
The Tasmanian Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program held its annual State Conference on Tasmania’s East Coast on November 1 and 2.
More than 30 participants were present for the conference, with skills and topics covered including: burns, ultrasound, resuscitation, thoracotomy, mental health and case-based discussions.
Emergency medicine training workshops are delivered multiple times each month for General Practitioners and rural doctors across the state – including for those on the Furneaux Islands – who undertake emergency care.
These workshops involve simulations and practical skills focusing on rural and remote cases and scenarios, including preparation for medical retrieval, emergency care and hospital avoidance.
The EMET program is focused on expanding the skill sets of Tasmanian health care staff and improving patient outcomes. It uses a range of training tools, along with equipment from Emergency Departments, and considering what participants are likely to have available to them in their places of practice.
EMET is key to the collaborative work between the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and rural physicians, enhancing the acute care being delivered to people living in those areas.
Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department Staff Specialist and Southern Tasmanian lead for the EMET program, Dr Juan Carlos Ascencio-Lane, said:
“This program is focused on ensuring all staff know how to deal with any emergency situation that comes through their doors,’’ he said.
“We are passionate about ensuring that rural and regional communities are able to receive a high level of emergency care across the state.
“These workshops are a wonderful opportunity for our amazing health staff who practice in rural and regional areas to develop their skills in emergency procedures and situations.
“If there is a significant medical emergency, we want all our staff to be able to care for that patient until the retrieval service arrives to transport them to one of our bigger hospitals.
“Rural doctors are not necessarily exposed to significant events on a regular basis, so these workshops are very important to continue to help them upskill and give them confidence to deal with any emergency situation that they come across.”
The EMET program is delivered by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) through funding from the Australian Government.