Articles: emergency-medicine.
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Comparative Study
Evidence of methodologic bias in the derivation of the Science Citation Index impact factor.
The "impact factor" published in Science Citation Index (SCI) is widely used in the scientific community to measure the relative importance of a medical journal. In contrast to all other indicators of academic growth in emergency medicine, impact factors for emergency medicine journals have remained low and unchanged since the inception of the specialty. We wished to investigate this incongruity. ⋯ The apparent failure of emergency medicine journals, as measured by the SCI impact factor, to keep pace with other indicators of academic development of the field is at least in part attributable to a methodologic bias inherent in the derivation of this factor.
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To determine how emergency physicians and nurses spend their time on emergency department activities. ⋯ Emergency physicians and nurses spent almost half of their time on indirect patient care. Physicians spent significantly more time on indirect patient care activities and significantly less time on personal activities than did nurses.
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To evaluate a 4-hour ultrasonography course in the setting of an emergency medicine (EM) training program. ⋯ This 4-hour ultrasonography course has potential to serve as a foundation for an instructional model for ultrasonography training in the setting of an EM residency program.
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To describe the advisors and the advice given to residency candidate interviewees interested in specializing in emergency medicine (EM). ⋯ Students considering specializing in EM often receive negative advice or have no assigned EP advisor. These factors may adversely affect entry into the field of EM.
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Currently, there are no data that govern the number of procedures that are necessary to promote competence during emergency medicine (EM) training. Nonetheless, the Residency Review Committee requires each program to report the average number of procedures and resuscitations performed by its residents. For 7 years, we have used a computer database to track resuscitation and procedure experience for 42 residents. ⋯ There is no documentation that some residents perform even one of some rare but critical procedures. This tracking system suggests, then, that procedure simulations, or cadaver and animal models, must be developed and used to enhance experience. This program can be modified to track resident experience in any specialty, as well as to document supervision by faculty and support credentialling inquiries.