Emergency Publication
RSSArticles
-
Plaintiff Attorney May Decline to Pursue Claim if Patient Was Noncompliant
If a patient does not follow discharge instructions, and a bad outcome happens, the patient or family may decide to sue the emergency care provider. However, it may be difficult finding a lawyer to take the case.
-
Lawsuits Allege Delays, Failure to Treat with Mechanical Thrombectomy
Malpractice claims involving intravenous thrombolytic therapy to treat acute ischemic stroke patients are more likely to allege failure to treat than to allege complications related to therapy. A group of researchers wanted to know if the same was true regarding mechanical thrombectomy.
-
Emergency Physicians Rarely Bill for Advance Care Planning
Clinicians should be aware of the opportunity to provide this important service to patients – while also receiving appropriate compensation.
-
Advanced Practice Providers Are Seeing High-Acuity Patients in EDs
If advanced practice providers see high-acuity patients without direct supervision by a qualified emergency physician, patients may not receive appropriate comprehensive care.
-
Uncommon Diagnoses that Cannot Be Missed: An Update
There are a variety of uncommon pediatric conditions that, if not detected, may result in devastating consequences. The authors review and update the current standard of care for a variety of conditions, including necrotizing fasciitis, DRESS syndrome, Kawasaki disease, MIS-C, Lemierre's, and RPA.
-
Boarded Mental Health Patients: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Many EDs routinely board mental health patients for days on end, awaiting transfer to a mental health facility. An expert offers tips to help emergency medicine providers alleviate safety and medical/legal risks.
-
Consensus Panel Offers Guidance for Pediatric Mental Health Boarding
EDs nationwide continue to see pediatric mental health patients boarded in the department for long periods while awaiting inpatient bed placement. A group of 23 experts from 17 health systems sought to identify what EDs are facing, to learn how departments are handling the problem, and to offer recommendations to standardize practices.
-
To Alleviate Boarding, Consider Creating Discharge Lounge
Several months into the new process, leaders at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital report they have shortened the average discharge process from four hours to one hour, they have halved the ED’s leave-without-being-seen rate, and patient satisfaction scores have begun to rise in both the ED and inpatient settings.
-
Prioritize Bed Placement for Older Patients to Shorten Stays, Prevent Delirium
A team of emergency physicians gathered data showing that among older patients, there is an association between time spent in the ED and the development of delirium. Researchers found that for every hour spent in the ED, the risk of developing delirium increased by roughly 2%.
-
Make Headway Against Workplace Violence with Data Tracking, Interdisciplinary Initiatives
Two health systems have started several initiatives that attack the problem from different angles. Data show these systems are making a sizable dent in incidents of violence in their EDs and other vulnerable points. These leaders are sharing their roadmaps and best practices so others can benefit.