Emergency Department Management & Law
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Some Acute Chest Pain Patients Can Be Discharged Safely
Guideline authors recommend implementing high-sensitivity cardiac troponins and clinical decision pathways to safely discharge low-risk patients without additional testing. However, the decision pathway is not meant to replace the emergency physician's clinical judgment.
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Nurse Practitioners Working in ED Pose Unique Legal Risks
If a malpractice claim is filed, and a nurse practitioner was involved in the patient’s care, his or her liability exposure will depend on how closely the practitioner was involved in the care. Is the care the practitioner provides and submits bills for within the scope of practice? Does the care reflect what the providers are credentialed to do based on their competencies?
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Researchers Study Imaging Use Rates Among Nonphysician Practitioners
Researchers recently discovered nonphysician practitioners, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, ordered imaging tests 5.3% more often than physicians, potentially pointing to an opportunity to improve decision-making regarding judicious use of healthcare resources.
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Organizations Take Issue with Data Regarding Nurse Practitioner Care in the ED
Professional nurse groups are pushing back against a working paper in which the authors suggested care delivered in the ED by nurse practitioners who are not operating under the supervision of physicians actually results in more resource use and higher costs than care provided by emergency physicians working in the same setting.
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Emergency Clinicians More Worried About Patient Harm Than Lawsuits
In a survey of more than 1,200 ED attending physicians and advanced practice clinicians, respondents indicated they are more concerned about doing what is right for their patients (i.e., shielding them from harm and preventing poor outcomes) as opposed to focusing only on defensive medicine to prevent future litigation.
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Tactics to Improve Diagnostic Performance When Caring for Older Adults
Experts in diagnostics and elder care recently discussed the unique challenges of coming to a correct diagnosis for older patients and how healthcare providers can improve their performance.
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Patients with Nonspecific, Atypical Symptoms Could Be Misdiagnosed
An emergency medicine professor explains how providers can reduce risks for ED patients who present with unusual symptoms.
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Harsh Criticism for New Report on ED Diagnostic Errors
New research that might have injected renewed vigor into improving diagnostic performance in the ED has instead prompted much uproar. In the emergency medicine community, that discussion has been overshadowed by biting criticism about the data and the methodologies investigators used to reach their conclusions — and what some are calling unfair blame placed at the foot of emergency providers.
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Instituting Pediatric Readiness Standards Saves Lives
Emergency departments that fully adopted national guidelines reported lower mortality rates.
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Congress Formally Ends X-Waiver Requirement
Lawmakers remove this barrier to treating opioid use disorder.