ED Management – August 1, 2003
August 1, 2003
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Camera crews carry serious risks — stringent precautions are necessary
Editors note: In this first part of a two-part series, ED Management shows how important it is to exercise tight control over camera crews and what can go wrong if you dont.Learn how to keep control of camera crews in your ED
ED managers experienced with camera crews offer this advice on how to tightly control the project:Patient satisfaction depends on staff morale
If you want to improve your EDs patient satisfaction ratings, dont start by looking at how happy your patients are.EMTALA Q & A
Is it true that we can violate EMTALA by not encouraging a patient to stay for treatment when he wants to leave?Consider using electronic charts instead of dictation
Switching to an all-electronic system in the ED for charting and other functions is only a dream for some cash-strapped facilities, but an Ohio hospital is showing that the high initial cost can be recouped quickly through the money saved on transcription and other services.AMA to offer standardized bioterror training for EDs
Consider using electronic charts instead of dictationCDC reports sharp increase in ED visits
New data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the number of ED visits increased by 20% over a 10-year period, from 89.8 million in 1992 to 107.5 million in 2001.ENA offers ideas about overcrowding to JCAHO
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently announced its intention to create a new standard addressing ED crowding for the 2004 Hospital Accreditation Manual, and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) in Des Plaines, IL, responded immediately with suggestions for how the accrediting body might address the problem.Environment of care: Joint Commission wants to know how well your emergency department protects itself
A hospital invests hundreds of thousands of dollars to install a state-of-the-art security system, but administrators resist conducting drills to educate employees on how to respond, because theyre afraid of sending a message to the community that the hospital is not secure.Review of infection control standards under way
The Joint Commission is analyzing input received during an online field review of proposed changes to its infection control standards as part of a push to curb the occurrence of deadly nosocomial infections.Accreditation Q & A
Accreditation carries with it questions, some specific to individual organizations, but many that apply universally. In this section, ED Accreditation Update will provide experts answers to your accreditation questions, as well as tips from organizations that fared well during their survey process.