Articles Tagged With:
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Make Headway Against Workplace Violence with Data Tracking, Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Two health systems have started several initiatives that attack the problem from different angles. Data show these systems are making a sizable dent in incidents of violence in their EDs and other vulnerable points. These leaders are sharing their roadmaps and best practices so others can benefit.
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Prying Eyes Put EDs at High Risk for HIPAA Violations
Ensure policies are in place to protect the privacy of patients’ identifiable health information, train staff on those policies, implement measures to maximize compliance with the policies, and provide supplemental training if there are any incidents of non-compliance by an individual or group.
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Did Emergency Provider Discuss Sensitive Topics with Adolescent?
Protecting confidentiality is the primary consideration for emergency care providers discussing sensitive topics with adolescent patients, including documentation in the medical record, discharge papers, lab results, and billing. Confidential conversations can be protected in the medical record several ways, including using confidential notes that are not visible to all.
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EHR Flaws Contribute to Diagnostic Errors
Many, if not most, emergency care providers would agree there are some significant downsides to electronic health records, including usability, interoperability, and malfunctions, to name a few. But are these issues merely annoying, or do they actually contribute to diagnostic errors?
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Vital Signs Are Unreported During Most EMS Handoffs
EMS holds a wealth of information about a very critical time in the patient’s treatment and evaluation for that episode. Physicians, EMS agencies, and hospital leaders should collaborate to figure out what gaps exist and develop specific tools to close those gaps.
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Multidisciplinary Initiative Leads to More Referrals, Donors, and Transplanted Organs
Staff training and more visible public awareness helped a Georgia hospital make tremendous improvements.
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Disease-Modifying Therapy After Natalizumab Discontinuation in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
In this retrospective cohort study, the investigators found that, when compared to fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate, ocrelizumab use was associated with significantly lower annualized relapse rate and treatment discontinuation. There were no significant differences in outcomes between fingolimod and dimethyl fumarate use. Ocrelizumab use was associated with a lower rate of disability accumulation when compared to fingolimod.
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Treatment of Psychotic Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease
In a meta-analysis of several large treatment trials of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia with Lewy bodies, cholinesterase inhibitors demonstrated a small but statistically significant benefit in reducing psychotic symptoms.
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Antidepressants for Chronic Pain: Do They Work?
Antidepressant medications have been widely used for treating a variety of chronic pain disorders but strong evidence to support their efficacy is lacking. Some patients may respond, but available data do not help us to determine which agents may be helpful in a specific type of chronic pain condition.
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Celery Seed-Derived Compound: A Legitimate Neuroprotectant for Acute Ischemic Stroke?
A Phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial suggests that early administration of DL-3-n-butylphthalide, when given adjunctively to thrombolysis or endovascular therapy, improves functional outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Statistically significant results of well-designed analyses are tantalizing, but confidence in the findings is tempered by a lack of generalizability, an unclear mechanism of action, and trial design irregularities.