Emergency
RSSArticles
-
Multicenter QI Project Results in a 23% Reduction in Medical Errors
Implementation of a quality improvement project focused on handoffs reduced medical errors by 23% and preventable adverse events by 30%.
-
Study: Education, training on proper splint technique needed in EDs, urgent care centers
A new study suggests that most of the splints applied in EDs and urgent care settings on pediatric patients with potential fractures are being placed improperly, leading to the potential for complications such as excessive swelling, blistering and other skin problems, and improper mobilization of the fracture. Researchers at the University of Maryland say this points to a need for better education and training of frontline practitioners on splinting techniques. Investigators plan to create and disseminate educational materials on correct splinting techniques for display in EDs and urgent care facilities. A second study is planned to evaluate the impact of these interventions.
-
Use Screening Tools, Partnerships Care for IPV Victims
A study suggests that 72% of women with a history of intimate partner violence are not identified when they visit the ED for medical issues.
-
Carolinas HealthCare system gets jump on potential for telepsychiatry
Long before the state of North Carolina decided to implement its statewide telepsychiatry program (NC-STeP), some health systems in the state were already delving into the approach. For instance, Charlotte, NC-based Carolinas HealthCare System was among the first to deploy telemedicine in the state, and the potential to use the technology for psychiatric consults was recognized early on, according to Brad Watling, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, system medical director at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. “It had some fits and starts … but over the last couple of years we have hit the ground running with it,” he says.
-
Malpractice Reform Didn’t Change EPs’ Practices
Three states enacted legislation that changed the malpractice standard for emergency care to gross negligence.
-
Defensive Medicine Can Complicate Emergency Physician’s Defense
Ordering tests that aren’t indicated can backfire legally
-
New Ruling on NPDB Reporting Requirements Affects ED Programs
Early offers of compensation to an ED patient may require reporting to the National Practitioner Data Base, according to a May HHS ruling.
-
Angry Patients Sometimes Just Want Answers
Rude, dismissive treatment is the underlying cause of many malpractice suits. Simple communication practices can prevent some ED claims.
-
Georgia Courts Continue to Define its Emergency Care Reform Law
Georgia’s tort reform law remains at the forefront of medical malpractice litigation.
-
States Leverage Their Telepsychiatry Solutions to Ease ED Crowding
Many states are turning to telepsychiatry-based solutions to connect patients with needed care while decompressing their overcrowded EDs.