Department of Health

Emergency department care coordination

Key messages

  • Care coordination staff work as part of the emergency department (ED) team, providing a primary access point for community-based services.
  • The role of the ED care coordination services is to facilitate timely access to an integrated system of community-based services.
  • Guidelines have been developed to assist EDs to implement, manage and improve care coordination.

Emergency department care coordination services facilitate timely access to an integrated system of community-based services.

This includes:

  • facilitating safe and timely discharge to the community
  • providing person-centred care that encourages and supports consumer and carer participation
  • providing a primary access point within the hospital ED for community based services
  • promoting continuity of care within and across hospital and community sectors.

Guidelines

Guidelines for the Victorian Emergency Department Care Coordination Program detail the role of the program, its core functions and structure and governance features.

The guidelines promote consistency of practice and support continued service improvements by providing:

  • a shared understanding of ED care coordination services across Victoria
  • a basis for continuous service development through comparing existing and best practice guidelines
  • a means of ongoing service monitoring and development.

There is also a self-assessment tool to assist local implementation by health services.

Downloads

Guidelines for the Victorian Emergency Department Care Coordination Program
pdf 265.72 KB
Emergency Department Care Coordination Self Assessment Tool
doc 683.5 KB

Reviewed 05 October 2015

Health.vic

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