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Stroke centers with specialized stroke teams have the potential to improve outcomes and decrease lengths of stay (LOS) for facilities that previously have relied solely on pre-hospital and emergency department (ED) infrastructure.
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Trepidation about litigation among emergency practitioners is a significant concern. Every patient encounter presents the chance for an adverse outcome. The standard of care is defined by experts as a well-established, set path with only one logical approach and outcome; in reality, the standard of care may be a tortuous path with many choices that may lead to dissimilar conclusions. This issue of ED Legal Letter outlines the problems with determining the standard of care and how courts will interpret the standard of care.
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Leading epidemiologists say a global return of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which wreaked havoc on the health care systems that had to deal with it is almost inevitable. The current overriding concern is that SARS will resurface as a seasonal illness along with influenza and other respiratory infections.
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If Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations surveyors noted a potential problem area in one department at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, MI, they didnt stop there. Instead, they zealously looked for evidence of the same problem throughout the facility.
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Whether or not your hospital currently is participating in the National Voluntary Reporting Initiative, you can make good use of the just-released first round of hospital performance data. The data for 400 hospitals were posted on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) web site, and another 600 hospitals are expected to have data posted by February 2004.
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Shown here is a case presentation developed by Catherine M. Fay, RN, director of performance improvement at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, CA, to help managers prepare staff for the Shared Visions New Pathways survey process, including the new tracer methodology:
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Are staff at your facility skeptical that surveyors from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations really will be asking them the questions during your next survey?
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A case management program for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients at MeritCare Health System in Fargo, ND, helps women smoothly navigate through the health care maze as they make treatment decisions.
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From testing to telemetry, patient care is being brought to the bedside of a growing number of patients across the country. Engendered by constantly evolving and improving technology, patient-focused care is demonstrating a significant potential for improving patient safety while bolstering satisfaction.