ED management : the monthly update on emergency department management
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There are many barriers to compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals, as a recent study shows. However, emergency medicine experts say there are several strategies you can adopt to help overcome those barriers. ⋯ Standardization will help ensure they are getting the correct information. Put standardized abbreviations on posters in your department, and list them on your medication reconciliation form.
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One of the keys to achieving and maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction is to actively communicate with and involve your staff in patient safety initiatives, says the ED leadership at Boone County (IA) Hospital. Here are some of the strategies they use: The ED manager share Press Ganey results and comments regularly with the staff, Based on results and patient complaints, the staff determine what safety areas should be addressed for improvement, ED staff nurse will ask every discharged patient if they were pleased with their care, and will immediately address any complaints they raise.
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If your ED's volume is steadily rising, chances are you won't be able to maintain smooth patient flow with a single strategy. The managers of the ED at Middle Tennessee Medical Center have maintained impressive door-to-doc times by pursuing a strategy of constantly implementing new processes to speed patient flow. These processes include: having the lab hire a phlebotomist specifically for the ED, to ensure the efficient transmission of lab tests orders and results; adding point-of-care testing for more common and time-consuming screenings such as creatinine and pregnancy urine tests; installing a system that enables the staff to receive wireless EKGs from the field.
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Some ED managers have found that using certified coders, giving them incentives to perform at a high level, and educating their staff about improved documentation can improve their bottom line by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here are some lessons they have learned: Certified coders can have specific expertise in emergency medicine, which is invaluable for appropriate coding and billing. ⋯ Offering a higher percentage ultimately will result in a healthier bottom line. There is maximum value if the certified coder participates in an ongoing educational program with the staff about documentation best practices.