Researcher: ‘The Levees Have Broken’ at Emergency Departments
The new studies examine boarding of patients in emergency departments before they are moved to inpatient beds and patients who left without being seen (LWBS), the latter presumably because of ED crowding and long wait times. The Joint Commission has deemed extended boarding of patients in the ED as a patient safety risk, with boarding recommended not to exceed four hours. Relatively high LWBS rates can have significant negative consequences for patients if they are deferring care for acute conditions.
Study: Pediatric Epilepsy Patients Responded Well to Telemedicine During Pandemic
The Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reported that across nearly 50,000 visits, patients continued to use telemedicine effectively, even when outpatient clinics reopened a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 63 – Getting Back to Basics With Hand Hygiene
On episode 63 of PSQH: The Podcast, Megan DiGiorgio, senior clinical manager at GOJO Industries, talks about getting back to basics with hand hygiene.
Male Physicians Receive Higher Payments from Medical Companies than Female Physicians
The new research article, which was published by JAMA Surgery, features data from the Open Payments Database for female and male physicians who received the most payments from the 15 highest-grossing U.S. medical supply companies from January 2013 to January 2019.
Call 911! Emergency Department Doctors, Nurses Need Help Now Against Violence
Assaults in the emergency department are on the rise with nearly one-fourth (24%) of emergency physicians reporting being assaulted multiple times a week, according to the findings of a new poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Discuss Any Revisions to Masking Policies With Your Staff, IC Experts
The CDC recently revised its guidance on COVID-19 universal masking, but consult with your staff and infection control experts before making changes to your organization policies. The guidance from CDC and CMS has been revised several times over the last few months, including the final days in September.
Researcher: Paxlovid is ‘Game Changer’ in Treatment of COVID-19
The recent study examined data from more than 560,000 patients who could have been treated with Paxlovid from March 1, 2022, to Aug. 1, 2022. Among these patients, 146,000 received Paxlovid and 421,000 did not receive the oral antiviral medication.
Meeting Patient Needs Where They Need It Most
California-based Adventist Health and value-based medical group Emcara Health have partnered recently to extend care into high-risk communities across the state. As part of the Enhanced Care Initiative from CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal), this partnership is intended to close care gaps for patients facing the most complex care needs by addressing barriers such as homelessness and other social determinants of health.
Three Must-Have Features in Modern Custom EHR Systems
Although the healthcare industry has used EHRs for a long time, these systems are constantly being redesigned to meet the challenges of the times as well as become more helpful for providers. In this article, we will explore the changes that custom EHR systems have seen recently, and how they help overcome the challenges brought about by the pandemic and other significant healthcare events.
How Behavioral ‘Nudges’ Help Patient Engagement—and Improve Provider Experience
A new JAMA Network Open study has found that patient engagement technology can significantly increase the number of patients who get, and stay, vaccinated. By using text reminders, automated vaccine reservations, and other techniques like links to vaccine verification, providers can leverage technology to keep patients engaged and healthy as the industry continues to work through the COVID-19 pandemic.