Articles: emergency-services.
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Editorial Comment
The emergency department and triage of nonurgent patients.
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Arch Pediat Adol Med · Jan 1994
A statewide evaluation of pediatric prehospital and hospital emergency services.
To evaluate the extent of pediatric emergency training and the availability of pediatric equipment and patient care protocols in the prehospital and hospital settings. ⋯ These survey data are inexpensive to obtain and demonstrate EMS system deficiencies. The survey information provides a baseline measurement that can lead to measurable, targeted changes in the state's EMS system for children.
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It seems self-evident that the establishment of 24-hour per day attending physician coverage in a teaching hospital's emergency department would enhance risk management. However, prior to this study, little investigation had been done to corroborate the effects of full-time emergency department attending physician coverage. In a retrospective study from a large teaching hospital's emergency department, malpractice claims filed for 1985-1987 (part-time attending physician coverage) were analyzed and compared to those for 1987-1989 (full-time attending physician coverage). ⋯ Attending physician presence increased from 6000 hours per year in 1985-1987 to 26,280 hours per year in 1987-1989. There was an 18.5% decrease in claims filed, and a 70.1% decrease in disbursements for the first 2 years after the introduction of full-time attending physician coverage as compared with the preceding 2 years. These findings suggest that full-time attending physician coverage in the emergency department is associated with improved risk management.