Queensland Emergency Medical System (QEMS)
The term QEMS, which stands for the Queensland Emergency Medical System, describes the approach the Queensland Government has taken to planning and delivering emergency health care services.
QEMS represents an integrated and coordinated system of care for the acutely ill and injured. It focuses on systems, rather than an organisational approach to delivering patient care services. Emergency health care services are achieved through sub-systems that include private and public health care providers and emergency services agencies. These sub-systems operate within a complex and extensive network of arrangements that together form QEMS.
The Queensland Emergency Medical System Advisory Council (QEMSAC) is the strategic and collaborative link between the Department of Emergency Services and Queensland Health. QEMSAC monitors QEMS and provides advice to both Queensland Health and the Department of Emergency Services and Ministers.
Collaborative planning is the foundation of this systems approach and has led to significant outcomes for people in Queensland, including:
- Integrated Aeromedical Services through a comprehensive and independent review of the clinical and operational aspects of aeromedical retrieval services in Queensland.
- Centralised Clinical Coordination of patient transport needs for patients across Queensland resulting in demonstrable benefits to patient care as evidenced during the recent Tilt Train Crash near Bundaberg. Centralised tasking of aeromedical services, to commence in October 2005, will further enhance these services.
- Establishment of three QEMS collaborative committees (Northern, Central and Southern) to monitor service provision and provide advice to QEMSAC.
- Development policy guidelines to support a network of community First Responders.
- Development of policy guidelines for Early Access to Defibrillation in Queensland.
- Guidelines for the transport of Patients with Mental Illness in Queensland.
- Development of new operational guidelines for the provision and management of patient transport between Queensland Health facilities.
- Development of a quality and audit system including integrated data collections through a minimum EMS data set and a QEMS Quality Council.
Background:
The term QEMS, which stands for the Queensland Emergency Medical System, describes the approach Queensland Government has taken to planning and delivering emergency health care services.
A systems model for emergency medical services provides a framework for collaborative planning ensuring that opportunities exist for individuals to define desired outcomes at a state, regional and local level, define the strategies to achieve those outcomes and establish a set of measures to evaluate the outcomes. This model enhances the overall strategic direction of the Department’s service delivery.
The QEMS framework is developed around collaboration between service providers ensuring that operational decisions are made as close to the patient care delivery point as possible. This provides opportunities for policy makers and service delivery agents to work together to achieve maximum outcomes for the patient. A quality framework through local peer review processes, operational audits and the establishment of the QEMS Quality Council ensures service excellence and quality service delivery.
The QEMS consultation framework is a practical example of the government’s principle of developing partnerships to achieve maximum outputs for the people of Queensland. The QEMS structure provides the highest-level strategic cooperation between Queensland Health and the Department of Emergency Services through the QEMS Advisory Committee, Executive level cooperation and management through the Northern, Central and Southern Zonal QEMS partnerships, as well as the operational interface at the District QEMS level.
Aims and Objectives:
The Aim of QEMS is a seamless model of emergency medical services that is efficient, effective and safe.
The Objectives of QEMS are to:
- Enhance the statewide emergency medical system, delivered through an integrated and coordinated model of emergency health care.
- Enhance community preparedness by improving the community’s knowledge of acute health incidents and their ability to respond, render aid, and seek assistance.
- Ensure that people in Queensland receive world-class pre-hospital emergency health care.
- Ensure best practice definitive medical care delivered through standardised and integrated hospital-based emergency health services.
Location:
QEMS is located at the many points of contact between Emergency Services and Queensland Health, and service providers involved in delivering emergency health services. Visible evidence of the QEMS organisational structure is focused around three Zonal Committees, which are located within each Health Zone in Northern, Central and Southern Queensland.
Number of Team Members Involved:
QEMS is coordinated by a Secretariat within the Strategic Development Branch of the Queensland Ambulance Service. The Secretariat consists of an Executive Officer and Administration Officer and reports to the Assistant Commissioner, Strategic Development, Queensland Ambulance Service.
QEMS however, is not a discrete entity or limited to the work of this Secretariat, it rather represents the relationships and aspirations of health care professionals such as paramedics, doctors and nurses in achieving the best outcomes for their patients.
For more information go to www.qems.qld.gov.au
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