Emergency Medicine - Adult and Pediatric
RSSArticles
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EHR Can Make ED Documentation Appear Suspicious
While electronic health records offer many benefits to ED providers, they also carry some inherent risks. Learn more about specific examples of issues that can result in malpractice litigation.
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EHR Issues Arising in ED Malpractice Lawsuits: Info Is Outdated, Incorrect, or Missing
Electronic health record (EHR) issues are coming up in malpractice lawsuits against ED providers. Seven such cases were included in a recent analysis of 216 closed claims occurring from 2010 to 2018 in which EHRs contributed to injury.
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Falls in the Elderly
Falls in patients older than 65 years of age are an increasingly common presentation in U.S. emergency departments, and intricate knowledge and confidence in the evaluation and management of these patients is vital.
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Pitfalls in Treating Hand Emergencies
Traumatic and nontraumatic conditions involving the hand are among the more common clinical events seen in emergency departments. This article reviews the pitfalls that clinicians who encounter acute hand conditions must navigate successfully.
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Deadly Pediatric Rashes
Rash is a common complaint in the emergency department (ED). Often, the pediatric rash is a benign, self-limiting condition that requires no intervention; however, there are occasions when rashes are true emergencies. Identifying these rare occasions is critical for the pediatric patient. This issue reviews and discusses some of the most common pediatric dermatologic emergencies and the ED approach to identification, diagnosis, and immediate evidence-based management of these conditions. -
Any Discrepancy in ED Chart Hurts All Med/Mal Defendants
With multiple providers documenting in the ED medical record, there are bound to be some discrepancies from time to time. However, the chart must reflect that discrepancies were recognized and considered by the ED provider.
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Damage Caps Can Lead to Unintended Consequences for ED Malpractice
Damage caps render many cases economically unfeasible for plaintiffs’ counsel to pursue. Nonetheless, many ED providers still fear losing what may be an otherwise baseless malpractice claim. Tort reform is a safeguard against these scenarios, but the view looks different from the plaintiff’s perspective.
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Most Common Allegation in PE/DVT Malpractice Claims? Failure to Diagnose and Treat
Learn about the essential documentation that can prevent problems.
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ED Patients Taken Off Monitors, Alarms Ignored: Med/Mal Suit Likely
Any patient with symptoms worrisome enough to require cardiac monitoring reasonably expects that somebody is paying close attention. The same is true of patients who need frequent blood pressure monitoring, or those with signs and symptoms of sepsis. However, in some cases, patients deteriorate without anyone realizing.
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ED Med/Mal Claims Can Become Licensing Board Actions Quickly
To avoid issues with state licensing boards in the event of malpractice litigation, one expert suggests EPs check whether their professional liability insurance covers representation for a board action.