It's a celebration of qualitative research to start the new year, with a collection of papers offering new perspectives on emergency department issues. First is a pair of papers centred on the theme of pre-alerts to the emergency department. Setting the scene for a patient's arrival is a vital process, yet it can generate fear of criticism for getting the balance wrong, when it comes to over- and under-alerting. Following on is a paper taking a look at the human experience of working in the emergency department, and the war-like atmosphere that can be found there. This leads to the final paper on well-being interventions in the ED, with interviews having found real limitations to current approaches.

Read the issue highlights: January 2025 Primary Survey

• How do emergency departments respond to ambulance pre-alert calls? A qualitative exploration of the management of pre-alerts in UK emergency departments
• What influences ambulance clinician decisions to pre-alert emergency departments: a qualitative exploration of pre-alert practice in UK ambulance services and emergency departments
• It’s a battlefield! A thematic analysis of narratives shared in Cape Town emergency departments
• Well-being interventions for emergency department staff: ‘necessary’ but ‘inadequate’ – a phenomenographic study

The EMJ podcast is hosted by:

Dr. Richard Body, EMJ Deputy Editor, University of Manchester, UK (@richardbody)

Dr. Sarah Edwards, EMJ Social Media Editor, Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK (@drsarahedwards)

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