ED Management articles from March 2005

ED Management archives from March 2005

Desperate to stop the flow of red ink, Level 1 trauma center will deny transfers: facility asserts other hospitals can care for lower-level trauma patients.
March 1, 2005... Executive Summary Despite financial hardship, the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) may place severe limitations on solutions available to overcrowded EDs. * It is not up to the receiving hospital to determine...

New report highlights crisis with on-call panels: will recommendations solve complex problem?(emergency department physicians)
March 1, 2005... Executive Summary To solve the challenge of filling call panels, money, turf, and lifestyle issues of physicians must be addressed. * Use of hospitalists and physician assistants can help provide coverage for internal medicine cases....

California ED doctors ante up to boost on-call coverage.(emergency department doctors)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Just how serious is the on-call panel coverage situation in California? Serious enough that this fall, the state's emergency physicians put up nearly $2 million of their own money in support of a ballot initiative that would have added $600...

To ease overcrowding, delay elective surgeries: crazy idea or valuable strategy?
March 1, 2005... Executive Summary Make sure you are in the loop when decisions about postponing surgeries are made. * The ED managers often have the most accurate information available concerning likely demand for beds. * Try to be part of the...

Diversion policy (excerpt).(diverting patients from an emergency department)
March 1, 2005... IMPLEMENTATION The decision to divert patients is a serious one and needs to be made as collaboration between the emergency department physician on duty, the nursing supervisor, and administration. When available, the chief of staff, the...

'Predicting the future' helps cut LOS by 50%: bed turnover time slashed from hours to minutes.(hospital length of stay)
March 1, 2005... Executive Summary Being able to predict demand is critical to achieving proper staffing levels and optimal patient flow. * No need to invest in fancy software; a basic Excel program can perform the functions you require. * If you...

Most ED patients feel safe, but many fear errors: misdiagnosis, medication errors are top concerns.(emergency department safety)
March 1, 2005... Executive Summary Involving your patients in the care process can help ease their fears and promote safety. * In a culture of safety, ED managers must be accountable for keeping patients well informed. * Easing patient safety...

JCAHO's abbreviation requirements adjusted.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
March 1, 2005... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has issued its final modifications to the National Patient Safety Goal 2b, which address its 2005 requirements for standardizing medical abbreviations and symbols. The...

It's not over: prepare for a strange flu season.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... This year is a wild card, and anything still could happen. First, we had a dangerous shortage of influenza vaccine, followed by many high-risk people who couldn't get or decided to forgo immunization. Fortunately, this has been a mild flu...

CE/CME questions.(emergency services management)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... This concludes the CE/CME semester. See instruction box, below left. 31. According to the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, which of the following qualify as "specialized units?" A. Regional trauma centers B. Burn units ...

The burned patient: assessment, diagnosis, and management in the ED.
March 1, 2005... Burn injuries frequently present to the emergency department (ED). In the majority of cases, the burns are minor, yet, they require a careful assessment, cleaning, dressing, and careful follow-up. In the pediatric and geriatric populations,...

CME/CE Questions.(continuing medical education on burns)
March 1, 2005... 1. Burns can occur by several different mechanisms. What are the three most common types of burn injuries? A. chemical, scald, and electrical B. electrical, thermal, and scald C. scald, contact, and thermal D. radiation,...