Emergency Publication
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Operational Countermeasures Help EDs Navigate Staffing Challenges
A possible solution involves moving care to the front end of the visit. Depending on the size of the department and acuity level, this might involve putting a physician or an advanced practice clinician out front, supported by a nurse, a tech, a phlebotomist, and a transporter. The goal of this approach is to ensure patients receive everything they would need if they were able to be in a room.
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Staffing Shortages No. 1 Challenge in Healthcare
Short-staffed EDs mean patients have to wait longer for laboratory and diagnostic testing results, which could lead to delays in administering life-saving treatment.
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What Role Should Providers Play in New Rural Emergency Model?
In 2023, remote, financially stressed hospitals could convert to a new model and remain a critical part of small communities. This is an exciting opportunity for emergency medicine providers, although much depends on the final regulations that will govern these facilities.
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Dozens of Facilities Predicted to Show Interest in Rural Emergency Hospital Model
Key targets are hospitals that operated three years with negative total margins, facilities that recorded an average acute and swing daily census of less than three, and centers running with net patient revenue of less than $20 million.
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Many Emergency Medicine Residents Struggle with Communication
Researchers studied how to objectively assess patient/physician interactions in the ED. They used an observational tool to assess emergency medicine residents’ non-technical skills in patient interactions. This tool allows educators to consistently measure several important interpersonal domains to pinpoint the reasons why interactions are poor.
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Legal Implications if Adolescents Seek Confidential Care
Generally, emergency clinicians are required to obtain parental consent for care provided to minors. However, there can be exceptions if the minor is seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections, mental health, substance use disorders, sexual assault, or pregnancy. Several federal and state laws apply. Healthcare professionals are advised to be aware of the laws where they practice.
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Tracking Undertriage Can Help Prevent Medical Errors
Investigators found several issues were important to track using quality improvement methods, including discrepancy in exam or history between the triage and assessment nurses, along with discrepancy between the chief complaint and the physical exam. Also, they found failure to synthesize historic or objective information.
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Repeat Visits Are Second Chances to Avoid Misdiagnosis
Conditions that start with subtle signs and evolve over time are traps for the practitioner who is too rushed to let the situation unfold.
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Emergency Providers Report Rise in ED Violence
Two-thirds of survey respondents said they were assaulted by patients in the past year.
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Button Battery Ingestions Leading to More Pediatric ED Visits
Children are eating these tiny disks; researchers call for better laws and regulations.