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Opioid Tapering Can Work With the Right Strategies
The program uses different approaches for patients who already are taking opioids vs. those who would receive their first opioids after surgery.
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Pain Service Balances Opioid Reduction With Pain Control
When surgery patients already are taking opioids for chronic pain issues, the new goal is to get them to reduce their daily opioid intake — and prevent their suffering.
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Transitional Pain Service Begins With Screening Process
As providers in all disciplines, including surgical settings, look for strategies to be part of the solution when it comes to opioid prescriptions, one Veterans Administration model provides a blueprint.
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Case Managers in Transitional Pain Service Programs Can Help Stem Opioid Epidemic
Recognition that some surgical patients could benefit from case management services to help with pain has led one organization to develop a transitional pain service for surgery patients.
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New EMTALA Data Show Decline in Settlements
EMTALA’s status as an unfunded mandate and efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act threaten the financial viability of safety-net hospitals, researchers warn, which could lead to more EMTALA violations.
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Facial Trauma Lawsuits: Half of Cases Involve Delayed or Missed Diagnosis
Lawsuits stemmed from a variety of issues, but when EPs were sued, it was usually for failure to diagnose a fracture.
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Legal Problems if ED Overlooks Critical Lab Finding
Critical lab results are missed because ED patients are discharged already. Other times, results are never communicated to the EP who is caring for the patient. Despite the importance of critical values in ED care and requirements that hospitals provide for the identification and timely communication of critical results, there is little standardization of procedures.
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Policies Can Quickly Complicate Defense of ED Claim
Does an ED clinical policy state that all chest pain patients must undergo an ECG within 10 minutes of arrival, but it took somewhat longer? The slight delay might have had nothing to do with the plaintiff’s terrible outcome. But that does not matter; plaintiff attorneys can use it to paint a picture of substandard care.
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Liability Exposure if Communication Is Poor Between ED and Consultant
When EPs and consultants are codefendants in malpractice claims, finger-pointing is sure to follow. The EP insists the urgency of the situation was totally clear; the consultant claims the whole story was not told.
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With or Without Gag Clauses, It Is a Hurdle for ED Defendants to Blame EHR
Are EPs well-aware of a glitch within the electronic health record (EHR) that has almost harmed many patients? They might be wary of calling attention to it publicly due to vendor “gag clauses.” Proposed rules would eliminate gag clauses in EHR vendor contracts to encourage airing of safety concerns.