Emergency
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Legal Problems if ED Overlooks Critical Lab Finding
Critical lab results are missed because ED patients are discharged already. Other times, results are never communicated to the EP who is caring for the patient. Despite the importance of critical values in ED care and requirements that hospitals provide for the identification and timely communication of critical results, there is little standardization of procedures.
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Policies Can Quickly Complicate Defense of ED Claim
Does an ED clinical policy state that all chest pain patients must undergo an ECG within 10 minutes of arrival, but it took somewhat longer? The slight delay might have had nothing to do with the plaintiff’s terrible outcome. But that does not matter; plaintiff attorneys can use it to paint a picture of substandard care.
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Liability Exposure if Communication Is Poor Between ED and Consultant
When EPs and consultants are codefendants in malpractice claims, finger-pointing is sure to follow. The EP insists the urgency of the situation was totally clear; the consultant claims the whole story was not told.
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With or Without Gag Clauses, It Is a Hurdle for ED Defendants to Blame EHR
Are EPs well-aware of a glitch within the electronic health record (EHR) that has almost harmed many patients? They might be wary of calling attention to it publicly due to vendor “gag clauses.” Proposed rules would eliminate gag clauses in EHR vendor contracts to encourage airing of safety concerns.
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Patients’ Insurance Status Affects ED Disposition
Repeatedly discharging or transferring patients with certain conditions that are more prevalent in low-income patients may draw the wrong kind of attention from federal and state regulators. However, plaintiff attorneys probably would face an uphill battle trying to establish this kind of pattern in an ED.
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Most-Often Missed Serious Neuro Conditions: Ischemic Stroke and Intraspinal Abscess
The authors of most studies on diagnostic error in the ED use a “look back” approach. Researchers start with the misdiagnosis, then examine the factors associated with it. Other investigators recently used a different method.
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The Emergency Department Management of Precipitous Delivery and Neonatal Resuscitation
Emergency department providers should be familiar with the correct procedures to manage pregnancies, births, and subsequent neonatal resuscitations when they occur unexpectedly in the ED.
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When Handling Adverse Events, Experts Tout Benefits of Transparency
A small but growing number of health systems are implementing communication and resolution programs (CRP) to address adverse events that lead to patient harm. Experts note the approach involves a move away from a culture of deny and defend toward more openness and transparency with patients, families, and caregivers.
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Tool Helps Clinicians Determine When to Test Patients to Confirm Influenza
A new clinical decision guideline will help healthcare workers determine which patients should undergo testing to confirm whether they do have influenza or perhaps another respiratory condition that causes similar symptoms.
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Hospital Campus-Based Urgent Care Center Shares Staff, Resources With Nearby ED
The Mount Sinai Health System in New York City has opened a new urgent care center, dubbed Express Care, just 150 feet from the ED on the campus of Mount Sinai Hospital. The new center is staffed with board-certified emergency physicians and is designed to meet the unscheduled care needs of patients in the area. However, considering the proximity of the new center to the ED, it offers some unusual advantages over off-campus urgent care sites.