Articles: emergency-department.
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The WHO recognises patient safety as a serious public health problem. The COVID-19 pandemic affected adult EDs (AEDs) and paediatric EDs (PEDs) differently. We compared the culture of safety in the adult AED and PED before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ The baseline perception of the culture of safety was higher in the PED but improved in both services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adverse situations can provide an opportunity to improve patient safety culture.
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Despite pronounced increases in homelessness and mental health problems in the USA over the past decade, further exacerbated during the pandemic, and the higher prevalence of mental health conditions among individuals experiencing homelessness, no study has examined trends in self-injury-related ED visits by individuals experiencing homelessness using up-to-date nationwide data. To address this gap, we aimed to investigate the association of self-injury-related ED visits with homelessness and to examine trends in these ED visits by individuals experiencing homelessness. ⋯ Among adults aged 25-64 years, experiencing homelessness was significantly associated with self-injury-related ED visits, and an increase in the rate of such visits among individuals experiencing homelessness was observed during 2020 and 2021. Future studies should assess longer-term trends in these visits and explore interventions to address the societal, health and mental healthcare needs in order to improve the health outcomes of these marginalised individuals.