ED Management
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Examples of Poor Usability Show Where EMR Design or Implementation Can Go Wrong
Healthcare providers should find it easy to find and enter information into an electronic medical record.
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Poor EMR Usability Linked to Patient Safety Concerns, Clinician Burnout
Ten years after the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, researchers are sounding the alarm about patient safety concerns related to the poor usability of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. They also are highlighting how poor usability leads to clinician burnout, which heightens the risk of medical errors. Proposals for change include a call for greater transparency so that EMR program flaws can be shared and addressed quickly.
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Data Show Progress Has Stalled on Staph Bloodstream Infections
New findings from the CDC show that while hospital infection prevention efforts have successfully reduced the rates of staph bloodstream infections in recent years, this progress has apparently stalled. There is a concern that healthcare providers may be backsliding in their activities and focus regarding infection control.
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Consider Potential for Drug-Drug Interactions When Prescribing New Medication
The results of a new study show that 38% of patients discharged from the ED at a large, academic emergency center experienced at least one drug-drug interaction resulting from a new medication prescribed at discharge. Even though this was a small study, investigators noted that the findings suggest emergency clinicians should familiarize themselves with the most common interactions highlighted and carefully consider the potential for adverse reactions when writing new prescriptions for patients upon discharge from the ED.
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‘Purposeful Rounding’ Mixes Security, Clinical Teams to Help De-Escalate Tense Situations
Concerned about upticks in workplace violence in healthcare settings across the country, SSM Health has implemented “purposeful rounding,” a concept designed to strengthen communications and feedback between security personnel and clinicians on hospital units. Administrators describe the approach as a culture change but one that is well-received by clinicians in some of the most vulnerable units such as the ED, neonatal ICU, and behavioral health.
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Measles Outbreaks Put EDs, Other Frontline Providers on Heightened Alert
Measles was declared all but finished as recently as 2000. However, the disease has re-emerged in the wake of declines in the number of people receiving vaccinations against it. With hundreds of reported cases in more than a dozen states, the disease is a significant concern for EDs because of the highly contagious nature of measles.
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Investigators Find Patient Frustration With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The results of a new study suggest that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often are dissatisfied with their encounters in the emergency setting. In fact, investigators reported that many of these patients decline to seek care in the ED because they believe their symptoms will be dismissed as psychosomatic. However, the study also shed light on the most common reason why patients with CFS visit the ED.
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Epidemiologists See a Milder Flu Season, Warn Danger Remains for High-Risk Groups
This year’s flu season is not overwhelming EDs like last year’s record-breaking season. However, the circulating viruses remain dangerous, particularly to groups most at risk. By mid-February, the CDC reported there had been 41 flu-related pediatric deaths, with flu activity still on the rise across the country. To help frontline providers, the CDC is offering new tools to help them keep track of flu activity and severity. Further, there is a new antiviral medication that has been approved by the FDA.
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Polar Vortex Creates New Challenges for Hospitals, EDs
While the Midwest is accustomed to cold weather, the bone-chilling blast of freezing temperatures that swept through the heartland at the end of January provided added challenges to hospitals and EDs in the region. -
Pioneering Community Hospitals Address Opioid Epidemic
Community hospitals work with fewer resources than large, academic medical centers. However, these facilities can create effective treatment programs for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). In fact, experts state that when patients with OUD present to the ED, or are admitted as inpatients, there is a powerful opportunity to place them on the road to recovery. Still, clinicians in these settings need to engage with their leaders to set up a positive path.