Hospital Management
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AHA Launches Patient Safety Initiative to Share Data, Success
The American Hospital Association is launching a national initiative intended to provide a platform and resources for hospitals to track their patient safety efforts and scale them nationally.
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Apologizing Still Works, But Ensure It Is Done Correctly
Saying “I’m sorry” after an adverse event has become more accepted in recent years to express the clinician or administrator’s sincere regret at the unfortunate outcome, which was discouraged for many years for fear it would be seen as a legal admission of guilt. On the contrary, it has been shown to diffuse the emotions of a patient or family member and diminish the likelihood of litigation. But exactly how those words of regret are spoken can be important.
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Volunteers Need Screening and Training to Avoid Liability Risks
Volunteers serve many important roles in a hospital, but they can bring potential liability. A risk mitigation plan can help healthcare organizations make the most of volunteers without exposing themselves to undue risks.
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Knowing When to Call a Lawyer Can Help Avoid Bigger Problems
If in doubt, err on the side of calling for help from legal counsel. A timely consultation can help minimize any potential liability from a situation that may have legal implications.
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Managing Homeless Patients in the ED
It can be frustrating to emergency providers to care for patients who they know will have a hard time following through on prescribed treatments or directions because they lack access to housing. Yet, coming into contact with such patients is hardly a rare occurrence, particularly in busy urban settings.
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Addressing Food Insecurity in the ED
Screening ED patients for food insecurity is not particularly difficult or time-consuming, but intervening to address the problem can be complicated by various factors.
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Unmet Social Needs May Be Reason for ED Visit
Many unmet social needs are the true underlying reason for ED visits, although they often go unrecognized at the time of presentation. Without screening for social needs, ED patients may face physical, psychological, and economic consequences.
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Patient Safety Concerns When ED Nurses Have Poor Working Environments
There is growing evidence that physicians and nurses are concerned about the emergency medicine workforce. Almost half (47%) of emergency medicine programs had unfilled positions in the 2023 U.S. Match, according to a recent study. Emergency nurses report significantly higher rates of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intent to leave the job compared to inpatient nurses, another study found.
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Safety Issues if Patients Use Symptom Checkers
Patients increasingly are using online symptom checkers and artificial intelligence-based platforms for guidance on whether to visit the ED.
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New Service Accelerates Critical Care Expertise to ED Patients
With ICU-level resources often limited, especially in rural areas, investigators with the University of Vermont Health Network based in Burlington implemented a new service designed to expand the reach of critical care expertise across the health system, which includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, and three critical access hospitals.