Site offers patient safety resources solely for the ED
Overcrowded waiting rooms, patients leaving without being seen, inpatients being held for hours. The Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2003 as a direct response to this "current crisis in emergency medicine," says Dianne Vass, the group’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
"Our goal is to become a clearinghouse for information, data, and research projects for emergency medicine," she says. The site has posted findings from on-site patient safety risk assessments done at 39 EDs in order to identify specific risk factors, develop a report and action plan to increase patient satisfaction, reduce near misses, and reduce malpractice claims. An on-line newsletter reports on current patient safety news, legislation, and upcoming conferences.
The goal is to be "on the ground" in EDs across the country and identify the key risk factors in patient safety. "There are a number of indicators which are not necessarily clinically related that are impacting patient satisfaction scores and malpractice claims," says Vass. The foundation will use the information to publish a "white paper" on patient safety in emergency medicine in 2006, she reports.
The foundation is looking for feedback from emergency nurses about the biggest risk factors and challenges in their ED, adds Vass.
"Nurses are a key component for patient safety in the ED," says Vass. "We want to support them and give them the resources they need to improve safety."
Vital Signs
Site: The Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation
Address: www.empsf.org/index.asp
Contact: Dianne Vass, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Emergency Medi-cine Patient Safety Foundation, 11760 Atwood Road, Suite 5, Auburn, CA 95603. Phone: (530) 889-9328, ext. 102. Fax: (530) 323-6696. E-mail: [email protected]
Overcrowded waiting rooms, patients leaving without being seen, inpatients being held for hours. The Emergency Medicine Patient Safety Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2003 as a direct response to this current crisis in emergency medicine, says Dianne Vass, the groups executive vice president and chief operating officer.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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