ED Management – February 1, 2008
February 1, 2008
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Emergency department managers warned of 'catastrophic' crowding due to elderly
The number of patients between the ages of 65 and 74 who visit the nation's EDs annually is likely to double from 6.4 million in 2003 to 11.7 million by 2013, according to a new study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.1 This growth, the authors warn, could lead to catastrophic overcrowding. -
Customize design, staffing for geriatric ED or wing
When you're planning a geriatric ED or looking to transform part of your department into a geriatric wing, there are several design and staffing considerations the ED manager must take into account, advises Robert Fitzgerald, MD, FACEP, an attending physician in the ED at Boswell Hospital in Sun City, AZ. -
Having a patient advocate dedicated to the ED
Good ED managers are adept at identifying problems in their department and coming up with innovative solutions, but how many of those solutions involve a title and position change for the managers themselves? -
Communication is critical for patient advocate in ED
A proactive communications effort, before and after the creating of the new ED patient representative position at St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson, AZ, has helped smooth the transition for ED staff, patients, and families, says Cassandra Pundt, RN, CEN. Pundt had been the ED nurse manager for 10 years when she created and filled the new position. -
Award-winning ED treats its patients like family
The ED at Martha's Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs, MA, has consistently achieved extraordinarily high customer satisfaction ratings while operating in a unique environment. -
Are curtained dividers a setup for a lawsuit?
Caring for patients with little privacy other than thin curtains in a crowded emergency department seems to fly in the face of the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). But what are the actual liability risks of this practice? -
Interview questions are dangerous territory
Whether you are interviewing emergency medicine physicians, midlevel providers, or technicians in your ED, certain questions or remarks can get you into legal trouble. What should you avoid saying during the hiring process? -
ACEP, AIUM publish ultrasound guideline
The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) in Laurel, MD, and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in Irving, TX, have jointly published the Guideline for the Performance of the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) Examination. -
ED Accreditation Update: Joint Commission adds outpatient measures, 5 will have a direct impact on ED managers
The Joint Commission has added an initial set of seven hospital outpatient measures to its current complement of core measure sets that may be used to satisfy ORYX performance measurement requirements. -
ED Accreditation Update: Meds reconciliation summit promises more clarification
Since the implementation of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) dealing with medication reconciliation in 2005, The Joint Commission has received a steady stream of feedback from the medical community. Emergency medicine experts and organizations, in particular, have complained that the goals were unclear and made compliance difficult. -
ED Accreditation Update: Joint Commission follow-up is under way
After receiving input from several medical organizations and other interested parties during a Sept. 25, 2007, summit on medication reconciliation, The Joint Commission is digesting that feedback and crafting a response.