Study to investigate the safety of New Zealand's emergency departments

University of Auckland professor Stuart Dalziel is leading the study. Photo / Supplied

The safety of New Zealand's emergency departments is to come under the microscope.

The Health Research Council of New Zealand has granted $1.19 million for a University of Auckland three-year study that will track more than 6000 patients going to EDs across the country.

Professor Stuart Dalziel, who will be leading the research, said international studies showed that 17 per cent of hospital admissions resulted in "adverse events", through incorrect diagnosis, less than optimal care or patients going home and having an adverse affect to the medication given.

Dalziel said there had been no research to show this was happening in New Zealand but if it was, the study would show where and how the service could be improved.

"Due to the variety of cases, case complexity and need for speed in providing care to emergency patients, EDs have been described as a 'natural laboratory for error'."

More than a million people visited emergency departments around New Zealand every year. Between 25 to 30 per cent of those were admitted and the rest were discharged after being seen by a specialist.

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Next year, over the course of 18 days throughout the year, all patients who show up at 10 of New Zealand's 22 EDs will be asked to participate in the study.

Dalziel said he expected, from previous studies, that most patients would agree to be part of the study.

"We will follow up on the patients three weeks [later] to find out exactly what happened to them.

"We will then get a clinician to look at their medical records and three emergency doctors to review what happened and see if there are any opportunities to improve their care," Dalziel said.