Case: Vertebral Artery Dissection
March 20, 2017
In this case, we present an incredible day-by-day progression from the moment of onset of a vertebral artery dissection as told by the emergency physicianwho had it! Vertebrobasilar artery thrombosis or dissection affecting the posterior circulation can be extraordinarily difficult to diagnose. In the failure to diagnose specialties such asprimary care, internal medicine, family practice, emergency medicine and urgent care where the door is…Read More
5 Recommendations to Reduce Obstetric Nursing Stress
March 15, 2017
Is there really such a thing as a normal day on the OB unit? Highly doubtful. Unpredictability and uncertainty loom from the beginning of your shift to the end. But what if you could achieve some control over your day and try to decrease both your personal stress level and the stress of those in…Read More
Your Hospital Safety Culture: Strengths and Weaknesses
March 13, 2017
According to the most recent survey on hospital culture by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), provider perception of a positive hospital safety culture was the lowest for questions concerning the presence of non-punitive response to errors, effective handoffs and transitions, and adequate staffing. These results are detailed by the AHRQ in the…Read More
Q&A: Implementing a Communication and Resolution Program
March 8, 2017
Tom Syzek, MD, FACEP, served as the Chief Risk Officer of a multi-specialty physician group and President of the group’s captive insurance company. In those roles, he was the focal point for the Communication and Resolution Program (CRP); he attributes many prevented lawsuits to an effective communication and resolution strategy. We picked Tom’s brain to…Read More
Triage: The Acutely Agitated Patient
March 6, 2017
Patients with mental health complaints are visiting emergency departments and urgent care centers at an increasing rate. It is imperative that triage staff are able to make rapid and safe decisions for these patients. Rule #1: Make No Assumptions Making assumptions in triage is dangerous. Our subconscious biases can lead to cognitive errors in the…Read More
How 5 Physician Documentation Methods Compare to Facilitate Safer Care
March 2, 2017
Physician workflow frustrations are cited by several studies as a significant contributing factor to physician burnout, an epidemic estimated to impact 51% of the physician population according to Medscape’s 2017 study. Because burnout can be tied to risks in patient safety, improvements in physician workflow are key components in the patient safety movement. Source: Hubspot
The Pain in Pain Management
February 27, 2017
Pain management in the acute care setting (ED, Urgent Care, office) has once again catapulted to the top of the list of hot topics. Years ago the conversation centered on recognizing pain as a “fifth vital sign” and navigating the tricky crossroad of patient satisfaction and the provision of timely, sufficient pain medication. In the…Read More
RSQ® Spotlight with Margaret Curtin | Healthcare Risk Management
February 22, 2017
MPIE’s Margaret Curtin Provides Insight into Risk Management’s Role in 2017 As we begin 2017, we asked Michigan Professional Insurance Exchange’s Vice President of Risk and Client Services, Margaret Curtin, MPA, HCA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, CPCU, to share her insight on being successful in the industry and on direction of the industry. Source: Hubspot
Do's & Don'ts of AMA: Patients Who Leave Against Medical Advice
February 20, 2017
As practitioners, we like to think our charm and skills are so valuable that no patient would possibly consider leaving the ED or hospital against our sage medical advice! However, no matter how hard we try or how fast we work, a few patients will always choose to leave before an evaluation is complete—and against…Read More
4 Key Areas in Your ED that Your Triage Process Impacts
February 15, 2017
Over the last few years, many of our clients have expressed interest in demonstrating the impact that various system-wide performance improvement initiatives might have on patient outcomes or financial metrics. One of our colleagues from a large hospital system recently posed a similar question about triage. Like many initiatives, given there are so many variables…Read More
