Brit J Hosp Med
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Exit block and crowding create conditions in emergency departments that can harm patients and the staff who look after them. Key to solving exit block is recognizing that it exists and that the whole hospital is involved in preventing harmful consequences.
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Workforce crises in medicine can be devastating for a specialty, patients and professionals. Emergency medicine and general practice are currently affected but other acute specialties are showing early signs and symptoms of the condition. While symptomatic treatments are helpful, recognition and treatment of the causes is critical.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Does rapid assessment shorten the amount of time patients spend in the emergency department?
Overcrowding in the emergency department is a common phenomenon. This study assessed the impact of introducing a consultant-supported rapid assessment model, known as EDIT, and point of care testing upon the length of time patients spend in the emergency department. ⋯ This study demonstrates that a consultant-supported rapid assessment model using point of care testing significantly shortens the time patients spend in the emergency department.
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The crisis in emergency medicine in the UK was no surprise to staff in the specialty, but was not expected by the Department of Health. This article explains how chronic, systematic under-resourcing of emergency care has caused emergency departments to decompensate, and discusses actions that are necessary to prevent recurrence.