Emergency Department Management & Law
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To Alleviate Boarding, Consider Creating Discharge Lounge
Several months into the new process, leaders at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital report they have shortened the average discharge process from four hours to one hour, they have halved the ED’s leave-without-being-seen rate, and patient satisfaction scores have begun to rise in both the ED and inpatient settings.
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Prioritize Bed Placement for Older Patients to Shorten Stays, Prevent Delirium
A team of emergency physicians gathered data showing that among older patients, there is an association between time spent in the ED and the development of delirium. Researchers found that for every hour spent in the ED, the risk of developing delirium increased by roughly 2%.
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Make Headway Against Workplace Violence with Data Tracking, Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Two health systems have started several initiatives that attack the problem from different angles. Data show these systems are making a sizable dent in incidents of violence in their EDs and other vulnerable points. These leaders are sharing their roadmaps and best practices so others can benefit.
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Prying Eyes Put EDs at High Risk for HIPAA Violations
Ensure policies are in place to protect the privacy of patients’ identifiable health information, train staff on those policies, implement measures to maximize compliance with the policies, and provide supplemental training if there are any incidents of non-compliance by an individual or group.
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Did Emergency Provider Discuss Sensitive Topics with Adolescent?
Protecting confidentiality is the primary consideration for emergency care providers discussing sensitive topics with adolescent patients, including documentation in the medical record, discharge papers, lab results, and billing. Confidential conversations can be protected in the medical record several ways, including using confidential notes that are not visible to all.
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EHR Flaws Contribute to Diagnostic Errors
Many, if not most, emergency care providers would agree there are some significant downsides to electronic health records, including usability, interoperability, and malfunctions, to name a few. But are these issues merely annoying, or do they actually contribute to diagnostic errors?
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Vital Signs Are Unreported During Most EMS Handoffs
EMS holds a wealth of information about a very critical time in the patient’s treatment and evaluation for that episode. Physicians, EMS agencies, and hospital leaders should collaborate to figure out what gaps exist and develop specific tools to close those gaps.
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Delivering an Evidence-Based Intervention to Latino Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders
Automated tools offer a viable approach for addressing alcohol-related healthcare disparities in busy emergency departments.
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ICU Admission Means Trouble for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients
If they are released, such patients are twice as likely to die soon after discharge.
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Progress on Pediatric Readiness in EDs Continues
The pandemic slowed progress and not all emergency departments fully adhere to national guidelines, but continuous improvement is evident.