ED management : the monthly update on emergency department management
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The government's final Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) rule clarifies and simplifies many issues that have frustrated ED managers, but there still are significant areas of concern. The rule clearly defines what facilities are covered by EMTALA, essentially restricting it to only true emergency departments. ⋯ Physicians and hospitals have more flexibility in devising specialist on-call schedules. EDs may encounter more difficulty finding specialists, and those with physicians on call may be flooded with transfers.
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Screening guidelines for psychiatric patients can eliminate hours of delays due to costly, time-consuming diagnostic testing. If patients don't have to undergo extensive testing, they can be treated without delay. By eliminating routine diagnostic testing, $300 per patient can be saved. If care is delayed, a patient's condition may worsen and necessitate inpatient admission.