Multiple Emergency Department Acupuncture Trials (MEDACT) Randomised controlled trials of acupuncture vs. pharmacotherapy for acute pain relief in emergency departments
Principal Investigators: Professor Marc Cohen & Dr Michael Ben-Meir
Pain is the most common reason for presenting to an Emergency Department (ED), yet evidence demonstrates that pain is managed inadequately in this setting. Further evidence suggests that acupuncture is an effective therapy for pain relief. The objective of this study is to determine whether acupuncture alone or as an adjunct to medication provides clinically significant pain relief at 1 hour for patients presenting to the ED with low back pain, migraine and acute ankle injuries.
Inter-professional clinical handover in the emergency department: Tools to evaluate handover quality
Principal Investigator: Dr Bernice Redley
Inter-professional clinical handovers in complex clinical situations are associated with high risk for preventable communication errors and significant patient safety issues. This study aims to develop reliable observational measures of the quality of team communication during clinical handover in the Emergency Department, thus contributing to improving the quality and safety of patient care by identifying good practice, and reducing the risk of mis-communication