Access Management
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Legalities if Law Enforcement Responds to ED Violence
The presence of law enforcement can agitate some patients, or cause others to withhold information over fears the information will be disclosed to police. It creates a situation where state or federal privacy laws can be violated. Emergency clinicians should consult hospital security, risk management, legal counsel, or leadership for guidance on policies and applicable laws.
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Recurring Fact Patterns in Triage-Related Med/Mal Claims
Some malpractice lawsuits stem from what happens when the patient arrived at the ED — the triage nurse misses an emergency medical condition. If the triage process failed to identify a high-acuity patient requiring expedited care, then a plaintiff could allege the triage nurse breached the standard of care.
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Loneliness, Depression Tied to Higher Risk for COVID-19 Hospitalization
Assessing psychological risk factors may be just as important as considering physical risk factors.
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Cancer Death Rate for Black Americans Declines, Remains Higher Than That of Other Groups
Rapid declines in deaths from lung and stomach cancers parallels rise in mortality from uterine and liver cancers.
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Consult Services Should Address Racism and Bias
Hospitals are addressing health equity and combatting racism in all areas, including ethics. Members of an ethics consult service can develop recommendations for consultants to help address health equity and promote anti-racism, both in care of individual patients and in institutional policy.
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NFTs Could Give Patients Control Over Who Accesses Medical Data
Personal health information carries indisputable value to individuals — both clinically and financially. Yet, as it stands, patients have little or no say on how their own health data are shared. Some ethicists argue nonfungible tokens (NFTs) can be used to create a more ethical and transparent system.
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May Is National Nurses Month
Leverage the many resources available to meet all your nursing needs.
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Multiple Sclerosis Disease Burden May Be Underestimated
Prescription drug prices, indirect productivity loss drive care costs significantly higher for these patients compared to others.
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Feds Seek Comments on Mail-Back Program for Unused Opioids
Patients could use prepaid envelopes to safely return surplus pain pills.
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When ED Providers Overlook Information Conveyed by EMS
The emergency physician and ED nurse should take the report together when EMS arrives. Listen to what EMS found at the scene, what they did in terms of treatment, and what the response to that treatment was. Together, decide on the next steps.