Based on the considerable reader feedback I received in response to my column on the practice of shifting emergency department patients to inpatient hallways, the quality and patient safety community has some fervent opinions about how hospitals should deal with ED overcrowding. I thought I would share some of the comments to give the rest of you a chance to see what your fellow readers think about this often contentious issue.
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Jan. 2, 2009
Editor's Picks
New Pennsylvania law will end mandatory overtime for nurses The effects of medical residents' fatigue on patient safety has garnered increasing attention in recent years, but a new law in Pennsylvania attempts to address the long hours put in by nurses and other caregivers. The law, which goes into effect in July, will prohibit healthcare facilities from forcing caregivers who deal directly with patients—including nurses, technicians, technologists, and certified nursing assistants—to work beyond their scheduled shifts. According to this story, offenders will face fines from $100 to $1,000 per violation. Not sure if a hundred bucks is enough of a deterrent for hospital managers who often see no other alternative. [Read More]
Hospitals ill from more bad debt, credit troubles This isn't a story about healthcare quality, so to speak, but it's a telling look at how the current economic climate is forcing hospitals to reduce staffing, delay projects, and implement other cost-cutting measures that make it that much tougher to maintain quality standards and keep patients safe. [Read More]
The well-documented influx of baby boomer patients promises to increase the already high demand for senior services. But the prospect of expanding a service line that relies so heavily on Medicare has some hospital leaders jittery. [Read More]
Audio FeatureTracey Moorhead, president and CEO of DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance, discusses the opportunities for population health improvement and DM companies in a medical home and the changes they may need to make. [Listen Now]
Leaders ForumA Necessity, Not an Option: Rethinking ED Systems
Emergency departments nationwide deserve gold stars for their creativity in mitigating the effects of overcrowding by making processes more efficient through quick registration, provider in triage, bedside registration, standing orders, and the use of fast track and sub-waiting areas, to name a few. [Read More]
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