ED Management articles from August 2003

ED Management archives from August 2003

Camera crews carry serious risks--stringent precautions are necessary; 'this is a very controversial topic, a real political hot potato'.
August 1, 2003... [Editor's note: In this first part of a two-part series, ED Management shows how important it is to exercise tight control over camera crews and what can go wrong if you don't. Next month, we'll explore how the Health Insurance Portability and...

Patient satisfaction depends on staff morale; ED manager who scores high shares tips.
August 1, 2003... If you want to improve your ED's patient satisfaction ratings, don't start by looking at how happy your patients are. Start by looking at satisfaction levels among your staff. That's the advice from an ED manager who can boast of patient...

EMTALA Q&A.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act )
August 1, 2003... [Editor's note: This column is part of an ongoing series that addresses reader questions about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). If you have a question you'd like answered, contact Greg Freeman, Editor, ED...

Consider using electronic charts instead of dictation; save more than $400,000 in transcription costs. (Cost-Saving Tip).
August 1, 2003... Switching to an all-electronic system in the ED for charting and other functions is only a dream for some cash-strapped facilities, but an Ohio hospital is showing that the high initial cost can be recouped quickly through the money saved on...

AMA to offer standardized bioterror training for EDs; courses offered at 4 medical centers nationwide.(American Medical Association)
August 1, 2003... The American Medical Association (AMA) in Chicago is working with four prominent medical centers to provide training courses that will help prepare ED personnel for bioterrorism and other mass-casualty events. One goal of the courses is to...

CDC reports sharp increase in ED visits; numbers blamed partly on boarding of patients.
August 1, 2003... New data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the number of ED visits increased by 20% over a 10-year period, from 89.8 million in 1992 to 107.5 million in 2001. Much of the increase can be attributed to...

ENA offers ideas about overcrowding to JCAHO.(Emergency Nurses Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently announced its intention to create a new standard addressing ED crowding for the 2004 Hospital Accreditation Manual, and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) in Des...

CE/CME questions.
August 1, 2003... 25. When Duke University Medical Center allowed a camera crew in the ED, how much control did the hospital have over the final footage aired on TV? A. No control once the footage was taped B. The hospital asked that some scenes not be...

Environment of care: Joint Commission wants to know how well your emergency department protects itself; security and safety of patients and staff considered 'hot button' topic among standards for EDs.
August 1, 2003... A hospital invests hundreds of thousands of dollars to install a state-of-the-art security system, but administrators resist conducting drills to educate employees on how to respond, because they're afraid of sending a message to the community...

Accreditation Q & A.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Accreditation carries with it questions, some specific to individual organizations, but many that apply universally. In this section, ED Accreditation Update will provide experts'answers to your accreditation questions, as well as tips from...

Review of infection control standards under way: Joint Commission seeks to curb nosocomial infections.
August 1, 2003... The Joint Commission is analyzing input received during an online field review of proposed changes to its infection control standards as part of a push to curb the occurrence of deadly nosocomial infections. Feedback on the changes proposed...