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ED Communication Breakdowns True Cause of Many Malpractice Lawsuits
According to the authors of a recent analysis, risk-reducing tactics include conveying uncertainty to patients (if appropriate), ensuring incidental findings are communicated, and auditing compliance with policies on critical findings.
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Pediatric Cardiothoracic Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Part II
Ultrasound has emerged as a critical tool for use at the bedside to guide both diagnosis and treatment strategies. In this article, the authors discuss cardiac arrest, congenital abnormalities, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and pneumonia.
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Obtaining Auths Monthly for Physicians Can Lead to Fewer Claims Denials
At first glance, offering to obtain authorizations on behalf of physicians’ offices sounds like a lot more work. However, a move like this can benefit the department in more ways than one.
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When Rotating Revenue Cycle Staff, Both Employees and Department Win
At small critical access hospitals, patient access employees might also cover rehabilitation, outpatient, scheduling, and the ED, which can spread the staff thin. Some facilities are starting to rotate staff in all four areas. This gives these employees a working knowledge of different department functions, can make the facility more efficient, and perhaps even boost employee morale.
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To Increase Kiosk Use Rates, Do Not Overlook Personal Connection
Kiosks are expensive investments that do not always pay off for hospitals. For patient access, kiosks face two big obstacles: finding the right patient and providing benefit to that patient.
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Abdominal Pain Was Not Appendicitis? Entire ED Visit Could Be Denied
After an extensive evaluation, it turns out that an ED patient with severe abdominal pain does not have appendicitis, only constipation. This is good news medically; financially, it is a different story. The patient may end up fully responsible for the entire cost of the ED visit, deemed “unnecessary” by the insurer. For the revenue cycle, this means lots of complaints, lost revenue, and bad debt.
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Code Melancholia: A Review of Depression for Emergency Physicians
Although the formal diagnosis of depression seldom is made in the emergency department (ED), emergency clinicians must understand the nature of depression and be prepared to deal with its complications, including suicidality and the toxicity of many antidepressant medications.
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Sleep Deprivation Endangers Employee, Patient Safety
To address this issue of sleep deprivation, NIOSH makes available a free online training program that can be used to educate nurses and other healthcare workers.
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Don’t Shoot the Messenger: HCWs Will Report Incidents in a Just Culture
A common theme across a variety of occupational and employee health issues is that healthcare workers may not report a given incident — leaving surveillance data underpowered and needed interventions less likely to be adopted.
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Employee Health Perspective of a Pregnant Nurse
Employee health professionals can provide education and compassionate support for pregnant nurses so they can continue working safely as they approach their due date.