ED Management articles from December 2007

ED Management archives from December 2007

White powder triggers lockdown of ED, as fire and police respond.
December 1, 2007... White powder triggers lockdown of ED, as fire and police respond EDs need quick, appropriate response to unidentified substances In a scene reminiscent of the anthrax scares of 2001-2002, an unidentified male walked into the ED at Fort...

New composite 'obs' APCs welcomed by ED experts.
December 1, 2007... New composite 'obs' APCs welcomed by ED experts Reduced RVUs could offset gains for observation The initial reaction to the creation of two new composite APCs (8002, 8003) in the final Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for...

Sign-in kiosks shorten waiting room lines.
December 1, 2007... Sign-in kiosks shorten waiting room lines Technology allows quicker ID of seriously ill patients The installation of three self-service computer stations, or kiosks, in the ED at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas has not only...

What are legal risks of videotaping trauma?
December 1, 2007... What are legal risks of videotaping trauma? Educational value may be worth the risk Many EDs videotape trauma cases for quality improvement and educational purposes, but some have put a stop to this practice due to concern about...

Patient's jewelry stolen as she rests in the ED.
December 1, 2007... Patient's jewelry stolen as she rests in the ED Thief in scrubs apparently walks freely through ED A 96-year-old woman was brought to the ED at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence on the afternoon of Oct. 10, 2007. Later that night, a...

EMTALA Q&A: What are responsibilities of specialty hospitals?
December 1, 2007... What are responsibilities of specialty hospitals? [Editor's note: This column addresses readers' questions about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). If you have a question you'd like answered, contact Steve Lewis,...

Study: 75% of EDs have inadequate call coverage.
December 1, 2007... Study: 75% of EDs have inadequate call coverage A full three-quarters of all hospital EDs in the United States don't have enough specialists who specifically treat cardiac or neurological problems, according to a new study from the Center...

CNE/CME Objectives and Questions.
December 1, 2007... CNE/CME Objectives 1. Apply new information about various approaches to ED management. 2. Discuss how developments in the regulatory arena apply to the ED setting. 3. Implement managerial procedures suggested by your peers in the...