ED Management articles from September 2008

ED Management archives from September 2008

Majority of emergency patients don't understand discharge instructions.
September 1, 2008... Majority of emergency patients don't understand discharge instructions Poor communication often results in more frequent readmissions A woman who initially had come into the ED at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago with a...

Be proactive about improving communications.
September 1, 2008... Be proactive about improving communications Given the findings of a recent study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine,.sup.1 ED managers should take immediate steps to improve communications with patients, says Bruce Janiak, MD, FACEP, FAAP,...

Read-backs might help - Do you have the time?
September 1, 2008... Read-backs might help - Do you have the time? In light of a recent study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine,.sup.1 some experts recommend that EDs use "read-backs" by asking the patient to repeat back what they have been told to verify...

Non-English-speakers present special problem.
September 1, 2008... Non-English-speakers present special problem While a recent study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine showed that English-speaking adults often have difficulty understanding physicians' instructions, patients who don't understand English...

ED's nonemergent patients must pay first or be referred.(emergency department)
September 1, 2008... ED's nonemergent patients must pay first or be referred New policy opens up 50 new 'slots' per week Under a new policy instituted in May 2008, patients in the ED at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland who have minor ailments must...

ED staff conduct careful research.
September 1, 2008... ED staff conduct careful research Visits guide model for redirecting uninsured patients The ED at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland began considering a new policy for patients with minor ailments about two years ago, recalls...

Flood fails to 'wash out' ED's ability to communicate.
September 1, 2008... Flood fails to 'wash out' ED's ability to communicate Redundancies help keep phone lines open The floods that ravaged Cedar Rapids, IA, in July caused several hospitals to evacuate their patients, including Mercy Medical Center, a...

Redundancy ensures smooth operations.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Redundancy ensures smooth operations The ED at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, had to be moved to another floor on July 13, as flood waters filled the hospital's lower levels. Despite having to uproot patients and equipment, the...

Robust IT systems pays big dividends.
September 1, 2008... Robust IT systems pays big dividends As the effective response of the ED at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, IA, to the recent floods demonstrates, the extra dollars required to invest in top-notch communications systems are well worth...

Documentation tool can boost bottom line.(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... Documentation tool can boost bottom line Improved speed, accuracy increase reimbursement (Editor's note: With this issue, ED Management begins a series on innovative approaches to documentation that can significantly enhance your...

Documentation template prompts thoroughness.(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Documentation template prompts thoroughness ED managers who don't currently use a documentation tool that prompts you to take actions that will ensure optimal reimbursement are missing an opportunity to significantly enhance revenues, says...

Confident approach helps sell management.
September 1, 2008... Confident approach helps sell management Documentation templates can require a significant investment, especially when you also are planning to hire additional staff to further enhance your documentation process. Showing supreme confidence...

Many psychiatric patientswait 24 hours to be seen.
September 1, 2008... Many psychiatric patientswait 24 hours to be seen Death, survey results show seriousness of problem The recent death of a 49-year-old woman in the psychiatric ED of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, after more than a 24-hour wait,...

'Psych ED' relieves main department.(emergency department)
September 1, 2008... 'Psych ED' relieves main department A psychiatric ED can relieve the overcrowding pressure in the main ED, but it doesn't guarantee a solution to the boarding problem, says Steve Sterner, MD, chief clinical officer and an emergency...

Separate area in ED relieves pressure.(emergency department)
September 1, 2008... Separate area in ED relieves pressure If it is not practical to create a psychiatric ED at your facility, you can create a separate area within your department for psychiatric patients, says Steve Sterner, MD, chief clinical officer and an...

Protein marker detects kidney damage in ED.
September 1, 2008... Protein marker detects kidney damage in ED When patients present in an ED with chest pain, blood can be drawn, and the patient's enzyme levels will indicate whether there has been cardiac tissue damage. At present, however, no similar test...

CNE/CME objectives/questions.
September 1, 2008... CNE/CME objectives *Apply new information about various approaches to ED management. *Discuss how developments in the regulatory arena apply to the ED setting. *Implement managerial procedures suggested by your peers in the...