Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Comparative Study
Comparison of a multimedia simulator to a human model for teaching FAST exam image interpretation and image acquisition.
This study compared the effectiveness of a multimedia ultrasound (US) simulator to normal human models during the practical portion of a course designed to teach the skills of both image acquisition and image interpretation for the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) exam. ⋯ There was no difference in teaching the skills of image acquisition and interpretation to novice FAST examiners using the multimedia simulator or normal human models. These data suggest that practical image acquisition skills learned during simulated training can be directly applied to human models.
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The objective was to determine the level of agreement between emergency physicians (EPs) and consulting psychiatrists in their diagnosis and disposition of emergency department (ED) patients with behavioral emergencies. ⋯ The 67% agreement between EPs and consulting psychiatrists regarding need for involuntary hold, and 76% agreement regarding final disposition, demonstrate a substantial disagreement between EPs and psychiatrists regarding management and disposition of ED patients with psychiatric complaints. Further studies with patient follow-up are needed to determine the accuracy of the ED assessments by both EPs and consulting psychiatrists.
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Many believe that the "boarding" of emergency department (ED) patients awaiting inpatient beds compromises quality of care. To better study the quality of care of boarded patients, one should identify and understand the mechanisms accounting for any potential differences in care. This paper presents a conceptual boarding "structure-process-outcome" model to help assess quality of care provided to boarded patients and to aid in recognizing potential solutions to improve that quality, if it is deficient. The goal of the conceptual model is to create a practical framework on which a research and policy agenda can be based to measure and improve quality of care for boarded patients.
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Consultation difficulty occurs in hospitals located in many countries, and it is understood that strategies to improve the emergency department (ED) consultation process are needed. The authors constructed a computerized consultation management system in the ED of a tertiary care teaching hospital to improve the consultation process and evaluate the influence of the consultation management system on ED length of stay (LOS) and the throughput process. ⋯ This study found decreased ED LOS by implementation of a computerized consultation management system in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The automated consultation and monitoring process formalized communication between physicians providing ED patient care in the academic ED with high consultation and admission rates.