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It's enough of a challenge when an ED is alerted by its local EMS that victims of chemical contamination are on their way by ambulance. But when these patients arrive by car unannounced that brings your response to an entirely different level.
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Moving admitted patients out of the ED and into inpatient beds reduces overcrowding more than adding beds to the department does, and -- in one hospital at least -- brings in more profits, according to two studies published online in advance of the October 2008 issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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For the past two years, the ED at Avera Weskota Medical Center, a small, rural critical-access hospital in Wessington Springs, SD, has been using a new "Emergency Services Aftercare" instruction form to help patients remember vital information about the care they received and instructions to follow once they get home.
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(Editor's note: This is the second in a three-part series on innovative approaches to documentation that can significantly enhance your department's revenues, without making any changes in patient flow and throughput processes. This article discusses how the use of incentives can improve documentation and increase revenues. The final installment will discuss excellence in coding and billing practices.)
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Citing a growing body of evidence showing that patients who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at a significant risk of having a stroke within 48 hours, authors of a four-article supplement in the latest edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine have underscored the need to diagnose and treat TIA much more quickly than previously believed.
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ED managers are not often thought of as inventors, but David Soria, MD, chief of emergency medicine at Wellington (FL) Regional Medical Center, has created a device that has helped his department knock an average of 2-3 minutes off its triage time, which was already an impressive 10-15 minutes.
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Documentation templates can require a significant investment, especially when you also are planning to hire additional staff to further enhance your documentation process. Showing supreme confidence in your plan, say the experts, can go a long way toward convincing management the investment makes sense.
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ED managers who don't currently use a documentation tool that prompts you to take actions that will ensure optimal reimbursement are missing an opportunity to significantly enhance revenues, says Robert B. Takla, MD, FACEP, vice chief emergency services at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit.
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(Editor's note: With this issue, ED Management begins a series on innovative approaches to documentation that can significantly enhance your department's revenues, without making any changes in patient flow and throughput processes. In this month's issue, we address the most effective documentation tools, proper staffing to optimize their use, and how to convince administration to make the required investment. In subsequent issues, we'll cover electronic tracking and chart monitoring, productivity incentives, and excellence in coding and billing practices.)
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The ED at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland began considering a new policy for patients with minor ailments about two years ago, recalls Charles L.
