Search Tag: emergency department

Improving Health Information Exchange in the ER

2015 10 Aug

An article published in Annals of Emergency Medicine offers guidance on maximising the value of health information exchange (HIE) in emergency departments. The report lists five primary and seven secondary recommendations made by an emergency physician-led workgroup to improve HIE in the emergency room. "HIE helps emergency physicians — who usually... Read more

Ankle Injuries in Children Don't Always Need an X-Ray

2015 23 Jul

Emergency physicians can safely reduce x-rays in children with injured ankles by as much as 23 percent, resulting in cost and time savings for patients, according to Canadian researchers who conducted a cost analysis of the Low Risk Ankle Rule (LRAR). The findings are reported in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine . "Currently, x-rays are ordered... Read more

4 Ways to Reduce Waiting Times

2015 19 Jul

In order to provide better health care, it is important for hospitals to reduce their wait times, particularly in the emergency department (ED).  It is a fact that patients who are treated quickly have better health outcomes as compared to those who have to wait for a long time. This is especially true for health conditions such as heart attacks and... Read more

Trial: Patient-Controlled Analgesia in the ED is Effective for Non-Traumatic Abdominal Pain

2015 23 Jun

Two randomised controlled trials of patient-administered patient relief in the emergency department have found that they are effective in reducing pain. Currently, patients arriving in emergency departments may be administered morphine intravenously by a nurse. Whilst this is safe and works, it takes up nursing time. Two randomised controlled trials... Read more

Successful Outsourcing Relationships

2015 22 Jun

Clinical outsourcing can be an important strategy for health providers, in particular those seeking to add specific clinical expertise or make improvements in certain areas to serve patients better.   So how does a hospital find a suitable clinical partner? An article, "Creating Outsourcing Relationships That Work", appearing in HealthLeaders Magazine... Read more

How to Manage Pain in the ER

2015 16 Jun

A simple yes/no question could be an effective tool to help patients decide for themselves whether their pain is adequately controlled, according to researchers conducting a study to evaluate the efficacy of a new evidence-based protocol to treat acute, severe pain in emergency department patients.   Simply asking the question, "Do you want more pain... Read more

Telemedicine Reduces Cost of Care

2015 25 May

An UC Davis study has shown that compared to telephone, paediatric telemedicine consultations produced significant cost savings while improving quality of care. Telemedicine systems may be expensive to install and maintain, but they more than pay their way, saving an average $4,662 per use, researchers say. The findings are reported in the journal... Read more

Routine Inpatient Admission Not Beneficial for Patients with Chest Pain

2015 19 May

According to an article published in JAMA Internal Medicine, routine inpatient admission may not be a beneficial strategy for patients with chest pain. Patients with negative findings and nonconcerning vital signs rarely had adverse cardiac events. Patients with potentially ischaemic chest pain are commonly admitted to the hospital or are kept under... Read more

Frequent ED Use Linked to Higher Admissions, Deaths

2015 12 May

Frequent users of emergency department (ED) care are more than twice as likely as infrequent users to die, be admitted to hospital, or require other outpatient treatment. The new findings are based on a systematic review of available evidence and published online in Emergency Medicine Journal . Relevant data analysed by researchers from the University... Read more

Randomised Trials in Healthcare Delivery

2015 21 Apr

Economists and other academic researchers have increasingly been using randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to study all sorts of things, including how to best fight poverty. In the area of healthcare delivery, however, the use of RCTs is still not common — which is surprising given that the link between healthcare and poverty is strong, according to... Read more