Impact of the XVII Pacific Games on the National Referral Hospital Emergency Department, Solomon Islands.

Background: The XVII Pacific Games was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2023 and was attended by competitors from 24 Pacific nations. The National Referral Hospital (NRH) is the sole tertiary hospital and largest emergency department (ED) in the Solomon Islands, located in the capital city, Honiara, and was the designated referral hospital for the Pacific Games.

Objective: This report documents the lessons learnt from supporting a large international sporting event within a resource-limited health setting, and may help other EDs prepare for similar planned mass gatherings.

Core sepsis-related competencies for medical students: an international consensus by Delphi technique.

Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which may arise from infection in any organ system and requires early recognition and management. Healthcare professionals working in any specialty may need to manage patients with sepsis. Educating medical students about this condition may be an effective way to ensure all future doctors have sufficient ability to diagnose and treat septic patients.

Developing a research question: A research primer for low- and middle-income countries.

As demand for emergency care (EC) systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) grows, there is an urgent need to expand the evidence base for clinical and systems interventions in resource limited EC settings. Clinicians are well placed to identify, define and address unanswered research questions using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This paper summarises established research priorities for global EC and provides a step-wise approach to developing a research question.

A Pacific needs analysis model: a proposed methodology for assessing the needs of facility-based emergency care in the Pacific region.

Background: Emergency care (EC) describes team-based, multidisciplinary clinical service provision, advocacy and health systems strengthening to address all urgent aspects of illness and injury for all people. In order to improve facility-based EC delivery, a structured framework is necessary to outline current capacity and future needs. This paper draws on examples of EC Needs Assessments performed at the national hospitals of three different Pacific Island Countries (PICs), to describe the development, implementation and validation of a structured assessment tool and methodological approach to conducting an EC Needs Assessment in the Pacific region.

Effective triage in the Pacific region: The development and implementation of the Solomon Islands Triage Scale.

Objective: The ED at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands, receives approximately 50 000 patients per year. A 2014 review of ED functioning identified deficiencies in triage processes. Placement of Australian volunteer advisors provided an opportunity to develop and implement a purpose-designed triage system.