Emergency Department Management & Law
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Opioid Prescription in ED Can Set Patient on Dangerous Path
EPs might write an opioid prescription just to tide patients over before outpatient follow-up is possible. Yet even that single prescription puts patients at risk for a future opioid overdose, according to a recent analysis.
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Risk Factors for Physical Restraint in ED
Researchers analyzed 726,417 adult visits to three hospital EDs in the Yale-New Haven Health System that occurred from 2013-2018. A total of 7,090 patients were physically restrained. Of this group, 64.8% were male, 28.8% were Black or African American, 71% presented with either Medicare or Medicaid, and 2.3% were homeless. Visits that were higher-acuity, visits later in the day, and visits with behavioral chief concerns also were more likely to include physical restraint.
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Liability Exposure for Vendor ‘Extremely Difficult’ if AI Tool Used in ED
Multiple recent studies have demonstrated the benefits of artificial intelligence tools in the ED, particularly for radiology and clinical decision-making. However, numerous issues need to be considered.
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Equipping Clinicians with Appropriate Training on Firearms-Related Injuries
Several healthcare organizations believe it is time for healthcare professionals to do what they can on the prevention front to identify patients at risk, leverage those encounters to promote safety, and address access to firearms when that is a concern. Admitting there are knowledge gaps when it comes to firearms-related counseling, there are new efforts to shore up medical education in this area.
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Emergency Providers Urged to Recognize, Treat Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder
Opioid misuse might not be the only addiction-related problem that has worsened over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis highly suspect a 34% increase in alcohol sales in recent months means there has been a rise in the number of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), too. But will these patients receive treatment for their AUD? If current trends hold true, not nearly enough.
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Patients Want Access to Around-the-Clock Emergency Care, Expect to See Qualified Pros
New poll reveals value of community medicine but also uncovers some gaps in staffing.
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Medical Groups Back Youth Right to Consent
National organizations filed amicus briefs in two federal cases centered on a law enacted in Washington, DC. -
Hybrid ED/ICU Setting Cuts Critical Care Admission Rates
For patients and families, a combination ED-ICU means avoiding costly ICU admissions that do not align with care goals. For health systems, it means alleviating ICU capacity strain. -
95% of Calls on ED Malpractice Lawsuits Are Rejected
Often, patients express anger over service experienced, but the perceived slight does not equate to malpractice. -
Potential Plaintiffs in ED Malpractice Claims Face Long Odds
During the initial phone call or meeting, complainants often provide a compelling narrative, but it falls apart after an independent expert reviews the ED chart. False or misleading statements about what happened in the ED undermine the patient’s credibility. Also, the cost of filing a malpractice lawsuit, and the low odds of prevailing, mean long odds for patients looking to become plaintiffs.