The Queensland Health suite of clinical pathways, developed to support decision making by Registered Nurses and General Practitioners (GPs) caring for residents of aged care facilities and to guide referral to Queensland Health Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) acute care Support Services (RaSS).
Please use the link below to access the suite of pathways and also read the “How to use the pathways” and “Conditions of use and copyright” prior to implementing.
Residential Aged Care Clinical Pathways (Queensland Health)
7 days a week, 364 days a year, from 0730-1600
CAREPACT Emergency Triage Service
For all referrals to our Mobile Emergency Team (MET), please call the Triage line with a recent set of vitals:
0427 026 319
CAREPACT Specialist Consult Line
Direct line to an Emergency Physician or Geriatrician for support, guidance and referral:
Hours: During the COVID Pandemic the GP and Paramedic Referral line is now available 24 hours a day.
Mobile: 0437 252 746
General Practitioners are encouraged to speak directly with a CAREPACT Specialist. Referrals in writing have resulted in delays to emergent care for patients and are discouraged. Further information like recent investigations, previous specialist involvement, and concurrent referrals will be discussed.
CAREPACT Specialist Consult Line
Direct line to an Emergency Physician or Geriatrician for support, guidance and referral:
Hours: During the COVID Pandemic the GP and Paramedic Referral line is now available 24 hours a day.
0437 252 746
Things to consider prior to calling:
Comprehensive Aged Residents Emergency Partners in Assessment Care and Treatment (CAREPACT) is a unique program that focuses on streamlining and educating the care pathway for the frail elderly residents of aged care facilities. It is a multifacted program, designed to collaborate with residential aged-care facilities (RACFs) and GPs to provide a centralised contact for clinical support, resources and education, and a central referral contact for acutely unwell residents to allow specialist review or consultation. Its goal is to ensure the resident receives the best care for their needs in a timely manner and in the most appropriate environment.
Our service has been operating in Metro South since 2016 and has established relationships with RACF staff, patients, and their families. We are linking with GPs, hospital specialists and community resources to ensure that every patient receives the right care in the right place. We ensure that the delivery of care provides patients and their families with choice in their care.
There are seven main components to the CAREPACT model of care:
The Metro South Health (MSH) catchment has a rapidly growing number of RACF beds, the high care bed numbers have increased by over 28% since 2008. The CAREPACT model of care provides a creative solution to continuing to provide high quality care despite this growth. There are currently 94 RACF's in the catchment with over 9,400 beds and more facilities are being approved every few months. Similar demand pressures are being faced in all Queensland metropolitan areas. Reported rates of presentation of RACF patients to emergency departments range from 0.1 to 1.5 ED transfers per RACF resident bed per year, with admission rates of these patients varying from 40 to 60 per cent of ED presentations. Both RACF Bed numbers and ED presentations will continue to increase unless alternative management methods are implemented.
CAREPACT recognises the unique, accredited professional environment of RACFs. We are focussed on addressing the complex array of factors that influence RACF staff to transfer patients to hospital, including the RACF staff skill mix and reources, perceived risk, and patient functional and cognitive impairment.
Patients and their families consistently express a desire to receive acute treatment in their home environments and increasing demand is expected with the aging population. Further, it is well-known that the transfer of an elderly patient can be distressing and place them at risk of iatrogenic complications.
CAREPACT aims to fill the need to improve service delivery to this cohort of patients, by providing alternative methods for assessment and management. This will provide improved care and choice for this growing population. For further information, please contact the team on CAREPACT@health.qld.gov.au