ED Management – June 1, 2003
June 1, 2003
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Report puts spotlight on inpatient holds: The No. 1 reason for ED overcrowding
Holding admitted patients waiting for an available bed not only hinders your ability to provide quality care, frustrates staff, and hurts your bottom line, but it also is the single biggest factor resulting in overcrowded EDs, according to a just-released report from the Washington, DC-based General Accounting Office. -
ED Benchmarking Success: Make these changes to cut delays, diversion hours
A sharp decrease in hours on diversion. Decreased length of stay. Greater staff satisfaction. These three items are on every ED managers wish list, but they are real-life examples of changes made as a result of one EDs participation in the GE Medical Systems Six Sigma process. -
Do you give poor care to patients in pain?
A sickle cell patient is in excruciating pain. A man who comes to your ED frequently always complains of different illnesses to obtain narcotic analgesics. These two patients have completely different needs, but youll need strategies to improve care for both. To improve management of chronic pain patients, follow these steps proven to work. -
Does your ED supply interpreter services?
Is your ED in compliance with federal regulations for care of non-English-speaking patients and their families? You are required to provide language assistance to patients in your ED, and penalties for failure to comply are severe, including exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid and possible criminal charges. -
EMTALA Q&A
When performing a transfer, is it necessary to have an interpreter along for the transfer of a non-English-speaking patient, assuming that an interpreter was available for performing the medical screening examination? -
Journal Review: Improving medication safety and patient care in the emergency department
Only half of ED staff would report a near-miss drug error if the patient was not harmed, according to this study from the Naval Hospital Jacksonville (FL). -
Cost-Saving Tip: Save 20 overtime hours with videotaped meetings
Every month, up to 20 hours of overtime are saved in the ED at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, CA, by videotaping staff meetings and inservices.