Government demands for arbitrary performance targets are contributing to ambulance delays, paramedic exhaustion

Other

Sawyer, Simon. (2021). Government demands for arbitrary performance targets are contributing to ambulance delays, paramedic exhaustion The Conversation Media Group.
AuthorsSawyer, Simon
Abstract

[Extract] Ramping is a serious issue within paramedicine, and it’s entirely possible this issue contributed to the delay in responding to the Victorian woman.

However, the delay may also be symptomatic of a larger issue: ambulance services being held to ransom by arbitrary performance targets set by governments, which often bear little relevance to actual health outcomes for patients.

These productivity metrics result in an overworked and exhausted paramedic workforce, which sadly means we may see more similar deaths in future, unless something changes.

Keywordsparamedics; ambulance; ramping; hospitals; healthcare
Year2021
PublisherThe Conversation Media Group
ISSN2201-5639
Web address (URL)https://theconversation.com/government-demands-for-arbitrary-performance-targets-are-contributing-to-ambulance-delays-paramedic-exhaustion-159823
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online29 Apr 2021
Publication process dates
Deposited04 May 2022
JournalThe Conversation
Open accessOpen access
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8xw11/government-demands-for-arbitrary-performance-targets-are-contributing-to-ambulance-delays-paramedic-exhaustion

Log in to edit

Download files

Publisher's version
OA_Sawyer_2021_Government_demands_for_arbitrary_performance_targets.pdf
License: CC BY-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 58
    total views
  • 25
    total downloads
  • 4
    views this month
  • 4
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Systematic review of incidence, prevalence, and trends in health outcomes for Australian and New Zealand paramedics
Sawyer, Simon, Cowlishaw, Sean, Kendrick, Kylie, Boyle, Malcom, Dicker, Bridget and Lord, Bill. (2023). Systematic review of incidence, prevalence, and trends in health outcomes for Australian and New Zealand paramedics. Prehospital Emergency Care. 27(4), pp. 398-412. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2022.2064019
Adverse events from nitrate administration during right ventricular myocardial infarction : A systematic review and meta-analysis
Wilkinson-Stokes, Matt, Betson, Jason and Sawyer, Simon. (2023). Adverse events from nitrate administration during right ventricular myocardial infarction : A systematic review and meta-analysis. Emergency Medicine Journal. 40(2), pp. 108-113. https://doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2021-212294
The readiness of Australian health care students to encounter patients experiencing partner abuse
Sawyer, Simon, Schneider, Michal, Western, Deborah, Bourke-Taylor, Helen, Farnworth, Lousie, Lawerence, Katherine, Lentin, Primrose, McLelland, Gayle, Melvin, Glenn, Recoche, Katrina, Schweitzer, Ronald, Simmonds, Janette, Storr, Michael, Thomacos, Nikos, Williams, Angela and Williams, Brett. (2022). The readiness of Australian health care students to encounter patients experiencing partner abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 37(11-12), pp. NP9575-NP9590. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520981136
A new scale of readiness for health care students to encounter partner abuse
Sawyer, Simon, Melvin, Glenn, Williams, Angela and Williams, Brett. (2022). A new scale of readiness for health care students to encounter partner abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 37(15-16), pp. NP14877-NP14897. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520981131
Supporting people affected by intimate partner violence in emergency and crisis situations
Sawyer, Simon. (2021). Supporting people affected by intimate partner violence in emergency and crisis situations. In In Bradbury-Jones, Caroline and Isham, Louise (Ed.). Understanding gender-based violence : An essential textbook for nurses, healthcare professionals and social workers pp. 167-182 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65006-3_11
Family violence
Sawyer, Simon. (2021). Family violence. In In Williams, Brett and Ross, Linda (Ed.). Paramedic principles and practice : A clinical reasoning approach pp. 986-1004 Elsevier Australia.
Paramedics as a new resource for women experiencing intimate partner violence
Sawyer, Simon, Coles, Jan, Williams, Angela and Williams, Brett. (2021). Paramedics as a new resource for women experiencing intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 36(5-6), pp. 2999-3018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518769363
Paramedics have one of Australia’s most dangerous jobs — and not just because of the trauma they witness
Sawyer, Simon, Boyle, Malcolm and Lawn, Sharon. (2020). Paramedics have one of Australia’s most dangerous jobs — and not just because of the trauma they witness The Conversation Media Group.
Current state of trauma services in Saudi Arabia
Alshamrani, Abdullah, Alshammari, Talal, Sawyer, Simon and Williams, Brett. (2020). Current state of trauma services in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care. 2020(1), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.5339/JEMTAC.2020.6
The psychometric properties of an intimate partner violence education outcome measure
Simon Sawyer, Jan Coles, Angela Williams and Brett Williams. (2019). The psychometric properties of an intimate partner violence education outcome measure. Nurse Education Today. 76, pp. 148-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.12.009
The knowledge, attitudes and preparedness of Australian paramedics to manage intimate partner violence patients – A pilot study
Simon Sawyer, Angela Williams, Auston Rotheram and Brett Williams. (2018). The knowledge, attitudes and preparedness of Australian paramedics to manage intimate partner violence patients – A pilot study. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine. 15(2), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.33151/ajp.15.2.564
Paramedic Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preparedness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Patients
Simon Sawyer, Jan Coles, Angela Williams, Peter Lucas and Brett Williams. (2017). Paramedic Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preparedness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Patients. Prehospital Emergency Care. 21(6), pp. 750-760. https://doi.org/10.1080/10903127.2017.1332125
A systematic review of intimate partner violence educational interventions delivered to allied health care practitioners
Simon Sawyer, Jan Coles, Angela Williams and Brett Williams. (2016). A systematic review of intimate partner violence educational interventions delivered to allied health care practitioners. Medical Education. 50(11), pp. 1107-1121. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13108
Preventing and reducing the impacts of intimate partner violence : Opportunities for Australian ambulance services
Sawyer, Simon, Coles, Jan, Williams, Angela and Williams, Brett. (2015). Preventing and reducing the impacts of intimate partner violence : Opportunities for Australian ambulance services. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 27(4), pp. 307-311. https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.12406
The accuracy of undergraduate paramedic students in measuring blood pressure : A pilot study
Boyle, Malcolm, Williams, Brett and Sawyer, Simon. (2014). The accuracy of undergraduate paramedic students in measuring blood pressure : A pilot study. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine. 11(2), pp. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.33151/ajp.11.2.23
Are Australian paramedics adequately trained and prepared for intimate partner violence? A pilot study
Sawyer, Simon, Parekh, Vanita, Williams, Angela and Williams, Brett. (2014). Are Australian paramedics adequately trained and prepared for intimate partner violence? A pilot study. Journal of Clinical Forensic and Legal Medicine. 28, pp. 32-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2014.09.008