Emergency Department data to reduce alcohol-related harm

Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton

Reducing alcohol-related injury using emergency department (ED) data is the aim of a collaborative project including researchers and clinicians at Monash University and Monash Health.

Monash University’s Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton is a member of the research team awarded an NHMRC partnership grant for the important public health project.

Based on an international model, the intervention has already shown to substantially reduce violent crimes, street assaults and hospital admissions related to alcohol.

“Our project aims to reduce ED attendances related to risky drinking, based on the Cardiff model, which has been introduced in more than 80% of emergency departments in the UK,” said Associate Professor Egerton-Warburton, Director of Emergency Medicine Research at Monash Health.

Building on the international evidence and pilot data from Australia, the team will oversee and evaluate an intervention that aims to reduce alcohol-related injury in the community through a randomised trial in eight emergency departments in Victoria, NSW and the ACT.

“In the UK, this public health project has demonstrated to have a payback of 83 pounds per 1 pound spent—and has significantly reduced emergency department injury presentations and police work,” said Associate Professor Egerton-Warburton.

A key aspect will be the introduction of mandatory “last-drinks” data collection within existing hospital IT systems for triage/clinician follow-up.

Associate Professor Egerton-Warburton said this project gives emergency clinicians the opportunity to become part of the solution, not just mop up the end result of alcohol harm.

“This project has the potential to lead to improved practices in emergency departments across Australia—helping to reduce the national incidence of alcohol-related harm.”

Led by Professor Peter Miller from Deakin University’s Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, the project team will work with colleagues at St Vincent's Hospital Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Australian National University, Barwon Health, Calvary Health Care ACT, Monash Health, University of New South Wales, South West Health Care, and Cardiff University.

Monash Health will contribute $430,000 to run the project for 5 years.