Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Race-based bias in health care occurs at organizational, structural, and clinical levels and impacts emergency medical care. Limited literature exists on the role of race on patient restraint in the emergency setting. This study sought to examine the role of race in physical restraint in an emergency department (ED) at a major academic medical center. ⋯ There was a significant effect of race on restraint that remained when controlling for sex, insurance, age, diagnosis, homelessness, and history of violence, all of which additionally conferred independent effects on risk. These results warrant a careful examination of current practices and potential biases in utilization of restraint in emergency settings.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of point of care testing on length of stay of patients in the emergency department: a cluster randomized controlled study.
Crowding is a frequent concern in the emergency department (ED). Laboratory point-of-care testing (POCT) has been proposed to decrease patients' length of stay (LOS). Our objective was to determine whether an extended panel of POCT solutions could reduce LOS. ⋯ The implementation of an extended panel of POCT solutions in an ED did not significantly reduce the LOS, but reduced the TTR.
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The American College of Emergency Physicians' geriatric emergency department (GED) guidelines recommend additional staff and geriatric equipment, which may not be financially feasible for every ED. Data from an accredited Level 1 GED was used to report equipment costs and to develop a business model for financial sustainability of a GED. ⋯ The additional equipment and personnel costs for comprehensive geriatric assessment in the ED are potentially financially justified by revenue generation and improvements in patient safety measures. A geriatric ED was associated with a decrease in patient falls in the ED but did not decrease admissions or ED recidivism.