ED Management – April 1, 2004
April 1, 2004
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How can you keep average wait less than 1 hour? VHA shares its strategies
If the average waiting time in your ED is more than an hour, maybe you could learn a thing or two from ED managers who report that their patients wait less than 60 minutes for treatment.Initiate account number at, or before, triage
Irving, TX-based VHA reduced waiting times by initiating an account number at or before triage, says Jeanne McGrayne, RN, MSN, director of emergency department consulting.Media campaign educates public on ED overcrowding
Everyone talks about how the public misuses EDs and cause overcrowding, but nobody does anything about it, right? They do in Memphis, TN, where a hospital system is working to educate the public about when and when not to use the local EDs, with good results after just a few months.Humorous radio spot informs public about other options
This is the radio public service announcement that Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, TN, uses to educate the public about alternatives to using the ED for nonurgent care.Better cardiac monitoring boosts patient outcomes
A new strategy for hastening treatment for heart attack victims is being tested in a mountainous California county where drive times to hospitals often are long, and the lead researcher says it could become a way for EDs to be their communitys leader in cardiac care.Case shows value of new 12-lead monitor in field
Your ED can be significantly better prepared for cardiac patients if you receive more complete monitor data while the patient is en route to the hospital, say sources interviewed by ED Management.EMTALA Q&A
Question: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued guidance to surveyors on interpreting the final EMTALA rule, and one of the points stated that EMTALA no longer applies when the physician determines that no emergency exists. Does this mean that EMTALA no longer applies once the patient has been treated for the presenting emergency and that emergency no longer exists, but then another condition arises or the patient complains of something new?Journal Reviews
Underdosing of acetaminophen by parents and emergency department utilization; Multicenter study of emergency department visits for food allergies; Experience of domestic violence by women attending an inner-city accident and emergency department.ACEP offers materials to educate ED patients
If you dont have thousands of dollars to educate your community about ED issues, a free resource is available.Clarification of a March 2004 ED Management article