Articles Tagged With: ED
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Hospital EDs May See Legal Issues After Abortion Ruling
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, sending the issue of abortion rights back to the states, could lead to difficult legal situations for some EDs. Risk managers should consider their state laws and plan for potential issues. One of the first issues to consider is how laws restricting abortion intersect with EMTALA.
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Staffing Shortages Could Increase Liability Risks
Staffing shortages can cause a wide range of problems within a healthcare facility. Most of those issues can lead to greater liability risks. Risk managers are struggling to alleviate those risks even as the staffing challenge gets progressively worse. -
An ED-Friendly Screening Tool to Identify Potentially Violent Patients
Considering violence is a continuing concern in the emergency setting, there is high interest in new mechanisms that can identify potentially violent patients at the front end of their care encounters. This way, safeguards or preventive measures can be activated to keep providers and other patients safe. However, any such tool needs to be brief and easily integrated into the workflow of a busy ED.
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New SBAR Method Improves Handoffs in Texas Hospital
A nursing team at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio developed a new process for handing off patients from the ED to a telemetry unit that improved patient care and decreased the number of rapid responses for recent transfers.
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Federal Healthcare Violence Law in Congress: If Not Now, When?
The longstanding problem of patients and visitors attacking and verbally abusing healthcare workers has been worsened by the chaos and cultural divisiveness of the COVID-19 pandemic. If federal lawmakers cannot find a way to better protect healthcare workers now, will they ever? -
Addressing the Needs of Patients with Substance Use Disorder
Case managers who work with patients managing substance use disorders have a unique story to tell and wisdom to share. Facilitating difficult situations day after day can be described as a journey with much to learn along the way. -
Case Managers Can Help Non-Cardiac Chest Pain Patients in the ED
The results of a pilot study show case management can help patients with non-cardiac chest pain by addressing their biopsychosocial factors and providing follow-up care management. -
How One Health System Monitors COVID-19 Patients at Home
One large health system successfully employed a hospital at home program during the COVID-19 pandemic using remote technology and a multidisciplinary team. By the end of 2021, the program had built a strong central team to support 13 medical centers across California. -
Allegations of Failure to Diagnose Resulting in Toddler’s Death Sufficient for Malpractice
This case reveals a common theme in medical malpractice actions: the critical importance of expert witnesses and testimony. As often is the case, both sides presented testimony from expert witnesses — qualified physicians who would support the actions taken by the respective side in the prosecution or defense of the litigation.
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Many ED Malpractice Claims Are Rooted in Poor Communication
Most ED patients are, at some point, handed off to other providers — admitting physicians, the ICU team, on-call consultants, or primary care physicians. Good communication is crucial in the ED.