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ED Boarding Prolongs Length of Stay for Trauma Patients
One department changed its processes to reduce the number of patients who left without being seen — specifically, working to put a patient in front of a clinician faster. When the ED fixed this issue, door-to-doctor times and door-to-disposition times shortened significantly, and leave without being seen rates declined sharply.
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Substance Abuse and Suicidal Ideation Commonly Coexist in ED Patients
Appropriate discharge planning, including tracking patients and measuring outcomes of follow-up tactics, is a key aspect of the emergency management of this population.
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Vascular Complications Common Allegation in Lawsuits Against ED Nurses
It is unclear whether the claims involved IV infiltration, thrombophlebitis, pain caused by multiple sticks, or inadvertent arterial placement. Prevention efforts might include procedural training, integration of ultrasound in IV placement, or escalation of patients with difficult access to providers who specialize in IV access.
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Artificial Intelligence Coming to EDs to Improve Stroke Diagnosis
Strokes, especially posterior circulation events, are associated with significant diagnostic error in the ED. Machine learning models can be designed to capture subtle signs and assist providers in catching cases that might otherwise go undetected.
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New ED-Specific Trigger Tool Identifies Most Important Adverse Events
The patient safety movement emphasizes the need to focus on detecting harm — ideally, preventable harm — rather than just errors. Instead of remaining hidden, adverse events should be identified and shared.
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Must-Have Documentation if ‘Low-Risk’ Chest Pain Patient Is Discharged from ED
Documenting an assessment with a validated scoring system and ensuring the timing of troponins is appropriate can reduce risk.
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Pediatric Psych Visits Surging in EDs, Along with Medical Malpractice Risks
Before pediatric psychiatric patients are discharged from the ED, carefully document the visit and create a follow-up plan with a primary care physician or mental health professional. For patients presenting with suicidal ideation, a social worker or mental health clinician should develop a safety plan.
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Scripting Keeps Financial Message Consistent
Giving families a point of contact for each area of the revenue cycle is the best way to provide uniformity. For example, when patients call in for an explanation of their bills, connect them with customer relations. If they need to set up a payment plan, bring in financial counselors.
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Incomplete ED Registrations Disastrous for Copay Collections
Hospitals are trying to shorten door-to-provider times. Lower-acuity patients are treated as “fast-track,” and discharged quickly. Registration teams might struggle to keep up, to the point that some patients may miss the official registration process. Without proper contact information, collection becomes exponentially more difficult.
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Revenue Cycle Needs Prep Work for Tough Financial Conversations
The most challenging situation can be when patients ask why the cost is so high. Scripting can help registrars answer this difficult question. This training includes teaching patient access staff how to show the patient detailed benefits and explain the out-of-pocket expense is based on their insurance carrier.