Articles: emergency-department.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2014
Satisfaction with emergency department service among non-English-speaking background patients.
The present study aims to investigate non-English-speaking background (NESB) patients' satisfaction with hospital ED service and compare it with that of English-speaking background (ESB) patients. ⋯ The NESB patients were significantly less satisfied than the ESB patients with the ED service. Use of an interpreter improved the NESB patients' level of satisfaction. Further research is required to examine what NESB patients' expectations of ED service are.
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Misperceptions detract from effective disease management in a number of conditions but the nature of underlying illness beliefs and their relative consistency in patients with chronic hypertension (cHTN) who present to the Emergency Department (ED) with poor blood pressure control is not known. ⋯ Misperceptions related to cHTN are common in ED patients. While specific areas of disconnect exist by geographic region, failure to recognize cHTN as a dire and fixed disease state is consistent, suggesting that a uniform educational intervention may be of benefit in this setting.
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An important element in improving the care of patients with sepsis is early identification and early intervention. Early warning score (EWS) systems allow earlier identification of physiological deterioration. A standardised national EWS (NEWS) has been proposed for use across the National Health Service in the UK. ⋯ An increased NEWS on arrival at ED is associated with higher odds of adverse outcome among patients with sepsis. The use of NEWS could facilitate patient pathways to ensure triage to a high acuity area of the ED and senior clinician involvement at an early stage.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2014
Need to address poor numeracy skills in the emergency department environment.
Substantial evidence exists for lack of numerical skills among many health professionals. Although poor numeracy has long been recognised as a contributor to medication error, other activities for which numerical literacy are required, such as interpretation of diagnostic results, have been largely ignored. Poor self-awareness of lack of numerical literacy increases the risk, especially in the busy and hurried emergency environment. ⋯ In contrast, education for nurses frequently occurs during both pre- and post-registration programmes. Interventions have had mixed success, although additional emphasis in increasing conceptual understanding of numbers is encouraging. The consequences of poor numerical literacy should be addressed in all clinical staff, not only by practice change to remove the potential for errors to be made, but also complemented by self-awareness and education.
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Public support in favour of family presence during an adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempt is a contentious issue among providers of emergency care. Researchers have mostly relied on attitudinal surveys to elicit staff views, leaving the life-world of those who have experienced this phenomenon, largely unexplored. ⋯ Improved intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration is essential to overcoming the barriers associated with lay presence during adult CPR. The future of this practice is dependent on initiatives that seek to bring about attitudinal change. Priority should be given to further exploring this phenomenon in the context of patient and family centred end-of-life care.