Emergency Department Management & Law
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Robust Data Collection, Careful Review Key to Preventing Disparities
A Boston health system has launched a multimillion dollar program aimed at eliminating disparities and promoting antiracist care.
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Confusion Over ED Instructions Remains Unaddressed Even After Discharge
There is an opportunity to make the ED a place where people feel heard and like they received what they needed, which is especially important because the ED is a crucial point of contact for some historically underserved populations.
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Incidental Findings for ED Patients Are Common, Staff Do Not Always Act
The search continues for an effective technique to identify and intervene on these findings in a way that works in the context of a busy ED workflow.
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Ethical Use of Restraint Hinges on Decision-Making Capacity
The situation becomes ethically complex if the patient’s capacity is unclear, ambiguous, or fluctuating. It is much harder to know if, when, and how to avoid inflicting harm while balancing the patient’s legal and ethical right to make their own decisions.
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Medical Incapacity Holds Require Ethical Oversight
Clinicians feel conflicted about their ethical obligations. On one hand, they know it is unsafe for a confused person to be allowed to walk out of the hospital. On the other hand, they are understandably worried about their legal risks.
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Medical Orgs Ask White House to Intervene on Boarding Problem
More than 30 groups say making admitted patients wait for a room or transfer has become a national crisis.
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ED Violence Pushes Out Top Employees
While multiple factors can figure into an emergency provider’s decision to leave his or her profession, receiving threats or winding up as assault victims while on the job easily can be the final straw. Those who work in the ED say the violence in this setting is only growing worse.
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Inexperienced Nurses Placed in Unsafe Roles Due to Staffing Shortages
Because of staff shortages, inexperienced nurses are placed in roles that may be unsafe for patients — and for the nurses themselves.
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Beware Venting About Staffing Problems
Emergency providers should follow proper channels for making such complaints. There may be a patient safety organization to which staff are directed to submit complaints, or the hospital could view the situation as a human resources issue.
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EMTALA Concerns if Patient Harm Is Linked to Staffing Shortage
It is important for administrators to understand an individual emergency physician or facility can be held liable under EMTALA, even if no one is hurt.