-
When a physician and patient disagree about medical testing and treatment, in most circumstances the patient has the right to refuse further care, even if that refusal may result in the patient's death.
-
Many health care providers harbor the delusion that hospital 'incident reports,' or 'occurrence screens,' are privileged and protected from discovery or admission as evidence against them in malpractice litigation.
-
The number of ED patients who leave without being seen (LWBS) has increased from 1.1 million in 1995 to 2.1 million in 2002, and also, vulnerable populations such as younger, Hispanic, and uninsured patients are at higher risk, says a new study.
-
Both nurses and physicians are at high risk for communication lapses during change of shift, says Francis L. Counselman, MD, chairman and program director for the department of emergency medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
-
In the wake of patient complaints about long wait times and lengths of stay, the ED leadership at Williamsport (PA) Hospital took the bull by the horns and has instituted several concurrent initiatives aimed at turning things around.
-
Hospitals in Boston, like facilities in many other major cities, are paying $1,000 or more to lure specialists to be on-call for ED coverage, according to a recent article in the The Boston Globe.
-
Emergency health care experts agree that the ideal way to enhance treatment of patients who do not speak English or who are hearing impaired is a live interpreter, and indeed, many EDs do offer such a service.
-
By laying a strong culture of safety as a foundation, ED leaders at Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro, NC, have achieved impressive process improvements tied to patient safety. For example:
-
Today's emergency physicians may find themselves responsible for initiating, sustaining, and even weaning patients on mechanical ventilation. This review will assist the emergency physician in providing quality respiratory support to these critically ill patients.
-