Annals of emergency medicine
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Observational Study
Impact of a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in an Emergency Department for Seniors.
This study assesses outcomes associated with the implementation of an emergency department (ED) for seniors in which a clinical pharmacy specialist, with specialized geriatric training that included medication management training, is a key member of the ED care team. ⋯ Although at least 1 medication-related problem was identified in almost half of patients treated by the clinical pharmacy specialist in the ED for seniors, incorporation of a clinical pharmacy specialist into the ED staff did not improve clinical outcomes.
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Emergency physicians often must make critical, time-sensitive decisions with a paucity of information with the realization that additional unavailable health information may exist. Health information exchange enables clinician access to patient health information from multiple sources across the spectrum of care. ⋯ This information article explores various aspects of health information exchange that are relevant to emergency medicine and offers guidance to emergency physicians and to organized medicine for the use and promotion of this emerging technology. This article makes 5 primary emergency medicine-focused recommendations, as well as 7 additional secondary generalized recommendations, to health information exchanges, policymakers, and professional groups, which are crafted to facilitate health information exchange's purpose and demonstrate its value.