Can J Emerg Med
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The emergency department (ED) environment requires physicians to focus on workflow efficiency (WFE) and manage ED throughput. We sought to determine whether an interactive workshop could be designed and favourably perceived by emergency physicians and residents as a means to improve their self-assessed WFE skills. ⋯ ED management "flow skills" are valued yet undertaught. A flow workshop designed to improve self-perceived WFE skills yields positive evaluations. Teaching this competency in a workshop setting is both feasible and appreciated by participants. Similar efforts should be considered for inclusion in both graduate and continuing medical education curricula.
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Multicenter Study
A door-to-needle time of 30 minutes or less for myocardial infarction thrombolysis is possible in rural emergency departments.
The Canadian Emergency Cardiac Care Coalition, the American Heart Association and similar groups have established a benchmark for the administration of thrombolytics in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care as a door-to-needle (DTN) time of 30 minutes or less. Previous research suggests that this goal is not being achieved in Canada. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the target DTN time of 30 minutes or less for thrombolysis could be met in 2 rural Ontario emergency departments (EDs). ⋯ A DTN time of 30 minutes or less is achievable in rural EDs.
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We sought to document the adequacy of acute pain management in a high-volume urban emergency department and the impact of a structured intervention. ⋯ Our multifaceted ED pain management intervention was highly effective in improving quality of analgesia, timeliness of care and patient satisfaction. This protocol or similar ones have the potential to substantially improve pain management in diverse ED settings.