Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Asthma coaching in the pediatric emergency department.
Coaching and monetary incentives have been used to modify medical behavior of individuals with several chronic diseases, including asthma. The authors performed a randomized, controlled trial of an intervention combining asthma coaching during an emergency department (ED) visit for asthma, and monetary incentive to improve follow-up with primary care providers (PCP). ⋯ An intervention combining asthma coaching during acute ED visits and a monetary incentive to return for a PCP visit does not appear to increase follow-up with the PCP.
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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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Comparative Study
The influence of race and gender on time to initial electrocardiogram for patients with chest pain.
To determine whether race or gender affected time to initial electrocardiogram (ECG) for patients who presented to an emergency department with chest pain. ⋯ The first screening test for acute coronary syndrome, the ECG, took longer to obtain for nonwhite patients, regardless of final diagnosis. This was unfortunately consistent with the literature that shows racial disparities in all aspects of emergent cardiac care. For women, the overall delay in ECG time can be explained by delays for those women with noncardiac chest pain.
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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.