Articles Tagged With:
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Age-Friendly Health System Initiative Improves Care Coordination
A new age-friendly initiative is a model focused on providing evidence-based care coordination to older adults and their caregivers. The goal is to train clinics to provide care that addresses what matters most to patients and their families.
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Focus on Social Determinants of Health Informs Hospital Discharge Practices
Health systems continue to address social determinants of health in their post-discharge care for patients. Case managers are on the forefront of this trend.
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Thinking Like a Payer
Part of what makes so many case managers successful is their ability to understand countless roles within healthcare and move between them smoothly. Whether managing discharges, providing social work support, or completing utilization review, the case management experience often is varied. However, many struggle in the quest to work more seamlessly with payers. -
ED Violence Pushes Out Top Employees
While multiple factors can figure into an emergency provider’s decision to leave his or her profession, receiving threats or winding up as assault victims while on the job easily can be the final straw. Those who work in the ED say the violence in this setting is only growing worse.
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Inexperienced Nurses Placed in Unsafe Roles Due to Staffing Shortages
Because of staff shortages, inexperienced nurses are placed in roles that may be unsafe for patients — and for the nurses themselves.
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Beware Venting About Staffing Problems
Emergency providers should follow proper channels for making such complaints. There may be a patient safety organization to which staff are directed to submit complaints, or the hospital could view the situation as a human resources issue.
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EMTALA Concerns if Patient Harm Is Linked to Staffing Shortage
It is important for administrators to understand an individual emergency physician or facility can be held liable under EMTALA, even if no one is hurt.
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The Legal Standard of Care if ED Is Understaffed
Frustrated emergency physicians want to be sure the lack of nursing staff is duly noted in the mistaken belief such a note will change the legal standard of care to which they are held. However, that documentation is ammunition for plaintiff lawyers to use against the provider, and leaves the standard of care unchanged.
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Documenting Understaffing Could Sound Like Blame-Shifting to a Jury
Jurors are going to expect everyone in the ED is working together for the patient’s benefit. If the emergency physician has valid safety concerns, the medical record is not the place to voice those. Patient safety committees or the peer review process are better options, and generally are not discoverable during malpractice litigation.
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Not Just an ED Problem: How to Solve the Boarding Problem Caused by Staff Shortages
It takes thought, planning, and some amount of money.