Exploring Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Emergency Department (CALD ED) study

Providing equitable and appropriate care to populations with cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) can be a challenge for Emergency Department (ED) providers.

This qualitative study aims to explore cultural and linguistic diversity in the ED, to inform evidence-based strategies to support patients from CALD backgrounds and guide subsequent research directions.

Researchers will consider individual patients, and their affiliation to people, organisations, their community and culture to explore barriers and facilitators to care delivery from the perspective of clinicians (doctors and nurses) and patients from CALD backgrounds.

The study involves collaboration with health and community partners, and a research team largely from CALD backgrounds whose language skill set will be utilised in a novel way (i.e. with translating information forms and supporting patient interviews).

The project is co-funded by a grant from the Gold Coast Health Collaborative Research Grant Scheme. Gold Coast Health is funding the quantitative arm of the study describing ED use by patients from CALD backgrounds.

Patterns of QLD ED presentations for older adults in three time periods: pre, peri and post COVID-19

Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the elderly population globally have been identified as a vulnerable group, yet there is limited literature exploring the effect of pandemics on Emergency Department (ED) presentations in this cohort.

Healthcare systems have rapidly adapted and made changes to prepare for a potential healthcare crisis that has largely targeted our frail older population. The impact of the pandemic and changes in health care delivery need to be evaluated, to ensure the measures taken did not have unforeseen negative consequences and subsequent positive consequences.

This research aims to describe the clinical profiles, patterns of presentations and factors associated with outcomes of patients, aged 60 years and over, presenting to Queensland EDs before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study will assist clinicians and policymakers to better respond to the challenges of acute care provision for this complex population during future pandemics.