ED Management articles from August 2004

ED Management archives from August 2004

Lawsuits imply EMTALA requires EDs to admit all uninsured patients: experts question claim's validity, saying only emergency treatment required.(Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)(emergency department)
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary Uninsured and underinsured patients are a growing challenge for EDs, but requirements for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) are simple and clear-cut. * EMTALA's jurisdiction ends when emergency...

How to boost satisfaction rates: a tale of two EDs: if you want to please patients, timing is everything.(emergency department)
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary Reducing wait times for patients is the key to boosting satisfaction ratings. EDs that have raised their rankings from the ninth and 45th percentiles to the 90s indicate the following: * An interdisciplinary task...

Lab order to results in 16 minutes? You heard right! Six Sigma helps ED overcome internal squabbling.(emergency department )
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary Six Sigma, an approach to performance improvement that originated in the manufacturing sector, is being applied readily to the ED environment. * Turnaround time for ED lab specimens is reduced by 30 minutes. *...

Targeting individual RNs improves performance.(Registered Nurse )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The ED at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, MN, has been able to increase the percentage of 'criteria' blood draws from 31% to 41%--one of the keys to slashing lab specimen turnaround time. But since only a specific percentage of...

EDs must offer inpatient level of care to admitted patients, new Joint Commission standard says: patients in the hallways must be treated the same.(Emergency Department)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
August 1, 2004... As of Jan. 1, hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations must meet a new standard that has a higher requirement for care given to admitted patients in the ED, and CEOs will depend on ED managers to...

Is your ED ready to comply with patient safety goals? Additions target test results, meds, and falls.(Emergency Department)
August 1, 2004... The newly announced national patient safety goals, which are expected to receive special emphasis at accreditation surveys, require EDs and other departments of the hospital to accurately and completely reconcile medications across the...

Medication issues trip up emergency departments.
August 1, 2004... ED managers often find that compliance with the environment-of-care standards is one of the most challenging areas of accreditation, particularly when it comes to medication issues, say sources interviewed by ED Accreditation Update. You...

Are you liable if your staff abuse a patient? Case alleges improper employee behavior.
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary Staff abuse of ED patients does not automatically make the hospital liable for inappropriate employee actions. * Policies cannot be expected to prevent bad behavior, but if an event occurs, take swift, decisive...

Situation critical for call panels: is there a cure? Hospitals are at risk if panels aren't filled.
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary The inability to fill ED call panels has become a national crisis, say some experts. * The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires hospitals to have call panels but does not require physicians to serve on...

Call panels: should your ED take the do-it-yourself route?(Emergency Department)
August 1, 2004... If you're having difficulty staffing your call panel, there are two options: You can institute a new approach internally, or contract with a company such as Emergency and Acute Care Medical Corp. (EA) in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, a management...

Want smoother transfers? Eliminate the guesswork! Pre-planning, good communications pave the way.
August 1, 2004... Executive Summary You can lay the foundation for smooth transfers from other facilities long before you are asked to accept their patients. * Educate community referring physicians about your procedures through regular meetings and...

Get your ED ready for influenza season.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Flu season is right around the corner. Are you prepared? The annual impact of influenza on the United States is staggering: 10% to 20% of the population will get the flu. Some 36,000 people will die, and 114,000 will be hospitalized. ...

CE/CME questions.
August 1, 2004... 25. According to Jonathan D. Lawrence, MD, JD, FACEP, an ED physician and medical staff risk management liaison of the emergency department at St. Mary Medical Center, when do EMTALA guidelines apply to admissions? A. Never B. When...