Clinical Conversations

Can a machine diagnose, triage, document a case, or show empathy? AI is everywhere and the pace of change makes it difficult to know when to stop and take stock. In this episode, we explain how AI works for clinicians, what the evidence shows, what the risks and benefits are in healthcare, and what it means for our clinical practice. 
 
Disclaimer: While we did our best to ensure the content was accurate, we don’t script everything  and sometimes we do make mistakes. If you hear something in this episode that you disagree with, we want to hear from you, so please get in touch.  

Further resources 
AI-Assisted Decision Trees for Emergency Call Classification: The IAppel Project | Springer Nature Link 
Transforming Health Care Through Chatbots for Medical History-Taking and Future Directions: Comprehensive Systematic Review - PubMed 
Clinical Reasoning of a Generative Artificial Intelligence Model Compared With Physicians - PMC 
A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic performance comparison between generative AI and physicians - PubMed 
Large Language Model Influence on Diagnostic Reasoning: A Randomized Clinical Trial 
Assessing the potential of GPT-4 to perpetuate racial and gender biases in health care: a model evaluation study 
Comparing ambient scribes: a randomized crossover clinical trial addressing ambient scribe technologies’ impact on physician burnout 
Ambient AI Scribes in Clinical Practice: A Randomized Trial 
 
Get in touch 
⁠clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au⁠ 
 
Socials 
David: ⁠@expensivecare⁠ | @expensivecare.bsky.social | LinkedIn 
James: https://linktr.ee/ClinicalConversations 
 
Producer: Liam Mylebry

Your monthly clinical update covering:
· Clinical Practice Update:
Forthcoming CPG changes including AF referral pathways, low‑risk chest pain risk scoring, and paediatric gastro guideline 
Ebola bulletin and CHO advisory
Cardiac Arrest Team Performance Report: insights and practical takeaways for improving CPR quality
PANDA trial update
· Patient safety update: Non-transport decisions, assessment, trusting our equipment
· Paper of the month: 
Naloxone and Clinical Outcomes in Suspected Opioid-Associated Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests | Emergency Medicine | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network 
Naloxone for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Due to Opioid Toxicity | Emergency Medicine | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network 
· Equipment update: Hypothermia, auxiliary purchase list updates, and giving sets
· Professional development opportunities:
Expression of Interest - 2026 CAA Congress Attendance 
Grand Round | 23 June 2026 
· Small steps to improve your practice
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Get in touch 
clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au 
Linkedin 
James 
Ben 
 
 
Producer: Liam Mylebry

Your monthly clinical update covering:
·  CPG updates: New measles CPG + updated CPP for ACOs & CERTs 
·  Hand hygiene refresher: Back to basics in challenging environments 
·  Cardiac arrest outcomes: Conversation with Ziad Nehme on recent improvements 
·  Survey plug: Clinical & Operational Service Delivery Plan 
·  Patient safety: Case review – consulting via the Clinician when engaging external agencies (e.g. PIPER) 
·  Tourniquets: Balancing risks and benefits 
·  Paper of the month: Ambulance offload delays and causes of ramping 
·  Equipment update 
·  Professional development highlights 
·  Small steps: Practical changes to transform your practice
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CPG update: CPG update – April 2026
VOD update: Updated guidance - Requests for Verification of Death (VOD)

Hand hygiene:
Take Five for Hand Hygiene
Transmission based precautions clinical work instruction
CWI OPS 184 Infection Prevention and Control Transmission Based Precautions.pdf

Paper of the month: Initiatives to reduce ambulance offload delays in emergency departments: a scoping review - PubMed

Professional development:
Fast Tracked Higher Education Pathway for AV Clinical Instructors – Now Open for Mid-Year Intake
Clinical Insights: Issue 8 now available
The Australasian College of Paramedicine Conference | ACPIC26
CAA Congress | The Council of Ambulance Authorities Inc.
Trauma 2026 Conference - Trauma Conference
SAS Events – Safe Airway Society

Clinical Technology and Equipment Committee Idea Sharing: Clinical Technology and Equipment Committee / CTEC@ambulance.vic.gov.au 

Get in touch: clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au
Linkedin
James
Ben

 
 
Producer

Your monthly clinical update from James Oswald (Clinical Practice Guideline Specialist) and A/Prof Ben Meadley (Director of Paramedicine).
This month's episode covers:
Planned updates to CPGs in 2026
Posterior Stroke
Patient Care Records
Evaluation data of droperidol and dexamethasone as antiemetics
Paper of the Month: IV vs IO in cardiac arrest
Equipment update
Professional development opportunities
Small steps to transform your practice
Paper of the Month Vascular access by paramedics during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective study of insertion success rates and survival outcomes of intravenous versus intraosseous route
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675726000628 
Professional Development Opportunities
The Australasian College of Paramedicine | Primary Care Conference 2026
ACP 2026 Education Grants: 2026 Education Grants Open
Posterior Stroke
Not so FAST: pre-hospital posterior circulation stroke - PMC
Get in touch
clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au
X / Twitter 
James: ⁠⁠⁠@JamesOz1⁠⁠ 
Ben: ⁠@ben_meadley⁠
Linkedin
James
Ben
Producer: Liam Hennebry

In this episode of Clinical Conversations, we're joined by Associate Professor Carmel Crock (Director of the Emergency Department at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Chair of the Quality & Patient Safety Committee at the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine) to unpack what diagnosis is, how diagnostic error happens, and how we can make diagnosis safer. We explore common pitfalls like premature closure and diagnostic momentum, and practical ways to improve diagnostic safety.
 
Get in touch
⁠clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au⁠
 
Socials
David: ⁠@expensivecare⁠ | @expensivecare.bsky.social | LinkedIn
James: https://linktr.ee/ClinicalConversations
Producer: Liam Hennebry