ED Management articles from July 2004

ED Management archives from July 2004

The Joint Commission is watching: is your disaster response plan in order? Terror attacks are more likely as presidential election approaches.
July 1, 2004... Executive Summary With fall elections approaching, it's time to revisit your major incident response plan. * Multiple practice drills will hone your responses to incidents of different levels of severity. * Ensure staff that they...

Poor communication: root of most patient safety ills: change culture, improve patient satisfaction.
July 1, 2004... Executive Summary Poor communication in the ED can dramatically affect patient safety and satisfaction. * Insist on open communication to ensure your team leader has the information he or she needs to make decisions. Don't assume the...

Three strategies to reduce overcrowding and gridlock.(hospital administration)
July 1, 2004... Executive Summary ED overcrowding leads to lost revenue and service opportunities. Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, CA, dropped diversion hours to zero with Code Emergency Saturation Triage (EST). * Mobilize all...

Make your ED part of a law enforcement team.(emergency department)
July 1, 2004... Executive Summary Your ED can become an integral part of law enforcement response teams. * Health care providers and law enforcement personnel must have special training. * Preventive medicine is a critical component of Tactical...

POC tests cut screening time down to 20 minutes: effectively offset rapidly increasing census.(Point-of-care)
July 1, 2004... Executive Summary Point-of-care testing can significantly reduce your door-to-diagnosis times. * Choose device(s) that mirror your most common diagnoses. * Training techs as well as RNs helps meet needs of the patient. * Be...

CMS issues EMTALA interpretation guidelines.(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)(Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued interpretive guidelines for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) final rule that took effect last November. While noting that the guidelines largely track the...

CE/CME questions.(Composite Medical Equipment)
July 1, 2004... 19. ED major incident preparedness strategies, such as those expressed by James J. Augustine at Emory University or Steven J. Davidson at Maimonides Medical Center, include what element(s)? A. Instituting a Hospital Incident Command System...

The evaluation and clearance of the cervical spine in adult trauma patients: clinical concepts, controversies, and advances, part 1.
July 1, 2004... Dealing with potential cervical spine injuries (CSIs) is a frequent occurrence for any physician who manages trauma patients. The importance of the routine practice of clearing the cervical spine should not be underestimated. Missed spine...

CE/CME questions.
July 1, 2004... 1. Which of the following mechanisms is not considered high-risk for cervical spine injury? A. Rollover motor vehicle collision B. Simple, rear-end motor vehicle collision C. Diving or drowning accidents D. Falls from higher...