Health promotion-who, us? Developing health promoting emergency departments

Abstract

This paper describes the initiation of Victoria's Health Promoting Emergency Departments (HPEDs) Program,involving seven of Melbourne's Emergency Departments (EDs). The Program aims to integrate health promotion intothe function of EDs, to complement the clinical and curative emergency care that they already provide. A developmentphase identified the means of achieving this and involved establishing a multi-disciplinary Steering Committee andengaging health promotion specialists to record the opportunities for health promotion within the ED context.A literature review, and consultations with ED staff (focus groups and surveys) and other stakeholders were conducted.A concept paper was published and the development phase findings were documented, including recommendations onthe future of the Program.