Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The verbal numeric pain scale: effects of patient education on self-reports of pain.
Emergency department (ED) patients are frequently asked to provide a self-report of the level of pain experienced using a verbal numeric rating scale. ⋯ Among ED participants with pain, both educational interventions (video and printed brochure) resulted in statistically and clinically significant decreased self-reported pain scores by 2 or more points in 26% of participants compared with 5% of controls. The educational interventions were rated as helpful by participants, with no appreciable difference between the two intervention groups.
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To identify and characterize subgroups of a pediatric population at risk of poor emergency department (ED) aftercare compliance. ⋯ Compliance with ED aftercare instructions remains a challenge. Health insurance disparities are associated with poor ED aftercare compliance in our pediatric population. Interventions aimed at improving compliance could be targeted to specific subgroups on the basis of their descriptive profiles.
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Despite the influx of female physicians in academic medicine departments, there are a small number of women in faculty and departmental leadership positions in emergency medicine (EM). The objective of this study was to determine if the gender of the chairperson of an academic EM department is associated with the gender of the residency program director (RPD) and gender proportion of its faculty. ⋯ An academic EM department was more likely to have a higher proportion of female faculty and a female RPD when the department chairperson was female.
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Patients leaving the emergency department (ED) without being seen (LWBS) by a physician have become a growing concern in overcrowded EDs. The purpose of this study was to determine the acuity level, reasons, and outcomes of LWBS cases. ⋯ The most common reason for LWBS is impatience during peak ED periods. Many of these patients seek medical care within one week. Complications occurred rarely; however, "high-risk" patients who leave without being seen do experience adverse health outcomes. Further research is required to examine ways to reduce LWBS cases.
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Antibiotics within four hours of arrival for patients with pneumonia and percutaneous intervention (PCI) within two hours for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are standard measures of emergency department (ED) quality. ⋯ Administrative measures of ED crowding showed an association with poorer performance on pneumonia quality of care measures but not with AMI quality of care measures. Hospitals might consider improving ED throughput, reducing boarding times for admitted patients, and reducing chest x-ray turnaround times to improve pneumonia care.