ED management : the monthly update on emergency department management
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New accreditation standards require you to work with community agencies as part of preparation for disasters. Invite community first responders to critique your disaster drills. Offer to use your ED as a training site for other agencies. Include jobs for volunteers in your disaster plan.
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All patient complaints should be addressed appropriately, with the goal of improving care and boosting patient satisfaction. Address complaints immediately, while the patient is still in the ED. ⋯ Have a policy to address complaints. Make verbal contact with every patient who complains.
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According to a new report from the General Accounting Office, increased liability risks stemming from EMTALA regulations have made specialists reluctant to take call for the ED. If a consultant can't be reached or refuses to report to the ED, staff should not hesitate to call the chief of staff or administrator. Your policy should address obligations of on-call specialists for acceptance and refusal of transfer patients. To ensure adequate coverage, fee-for-service arrangements may be more effective than stipends.