ED Management – May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
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Hospital diversion scheme draws ire of national ED organizations
Several EDs across the country have initiated policies to encourage patients who don't face "true" emergencies to seek care elsewhere in the community and to find "medical homes," but none have been met with the outrage that descended upon the University of Chicago Medical Center recently. -
'Seniors-only' ED draws raves from patients
The senior emergency center at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD, may be a rarity, but based on the responses of patients and staff not to mention our increasingly aging population perhaps more EDs should consider creating a separate unit for older patients. -
New protocol slashes PCI-to-balloon time
A new program in Houston that involves tight teamwork between The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, the Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute Texas Medical Center, and the Houston Fire Department EMS, as well as an experimental "cocktail" given in the ambulance to patients meeting certain criteria, has dramatically reduced Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)-to-balloon time and improved survival rates. -
Guest Column: Tips to succeed in getting sued
(Editor's note: Janiak has served as an emergency medicine medico-legal consultant for more than 30 years, and he has reviewed hundreds of malpractice cases. In the process, he has recognized common patterns and mistakes that emergency physicians make that set them up to be sued. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Janiak points out the following potential mistakes and ways that lawsuits are created.) -
ED Accreditation Update: Standards on verbal orders rank high among common compliance problems
Among the most challenging standards from The Joint Commission for the first half of 2008 was standard IM.6.50 "Designated qualified staff accept and transcribe verbal or telephone orders." According to the organization, 40% of hospitals were not in full compliance. -
ED Accreditation Update: TJC changes policy on med reconciliation
In the latest move in the continuing saga of the National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on medication reconciliation, The Joint Commission has said while it will continue to evaluate compliance with the standard during on-site surveys, "it will not be factored into the organization's accreditation decision and will not generate Requirements for Improvement [RF])." The new policy, announced recently, became effective retroactively to Jan. 1, 2009. -
ED Accreditation Update: New monograph helps examine hand hygiene
The Joint Commission has released a monograph titled "Measuring Hand Hygiene Adherence; Overcoming the Challenges," to help health care organizations target their efforts in measuring hygiene performance. -
ED Accreditation Update: Joint Commission report shows gains in safety
Most managers have been pushing extra hard to improve safety over the last few years, and The Joint Commission says all the hard work is paying off.