Unanticipated influence of coordination mechanisms on physician workstyles and ED operational efficiency

The coordination of activities in a work context has been examined by many disciplines and in recent years the role of information systems and other artifacts has become increasingly prominent. The emergency department (ED) of a hospital in a large US city is used to study how information systems and other coordinating mechanisms affect how physicians choose to perform their work and how such choices can impact the ED’s overall operational performance. The study used direct observation of the work performed in the ED, interviews of physicians, nurses and other ED staff members, and the analysis of historical performance data. The key findings were that the existing coordination mechanisms are a mix of fixed and mobile, computer and paper-based information systems, and other artifacts. The workstyles adopted by physicians were shaped by incidental characteristics of these coordination mechanisms. Some workstyles appear to have adverse, albeit unintended, effects on aspects of the department’s operational performance

Injury Due to Mechanical Falls: Future Directions in Gender-specific Surveillance, Screening, and Interventions in Emergency Department Patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that among older adults (≥65 years), falls are the leading cause of injury-related death. Fall-related fractures among older women are more than twice as frequent as those for men. Gender-specific evidence-based fall prevention strategy and intervention studies show that improved patient-centered outcomes are elusive. There is a paucity of emergency medicine literature on the topic. As part of the 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) consensus conference on Gender-Specific Research in Emergency Care: Investigate, Understand, and Translate How Gender Affects Patient Outcomes, a breakout group convened to generate a research agenda on priority questions to be answered on this topic. The consensus-based priority research agenda is presented in this article

Intra-abdominal Rupture of a Live Cervical Pregnancy with Placenta Accreta but Without Vaginal Bleeding

We describe an unusual ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The unique features of the case include abdominal pain without vaginal bleeding; cervical implantation and a placenta accreta; and the late presentation at 16 weeks of gestation without prior symptoms. Both the initial point-of-care ultrasound and the formal ultrasound were interpreted as showing an intrauterine pregnancy. The clinical presentation was misleading; the correct diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging. We show the ultrasonic images. We discuss cervical ectopic pregnancies, their diagnosis and management. The woman survived but required emergency hysterectomy and many units of blood

Intra-abdominal Rupture of a Live Cervical Pregnancy with Placenta Accreta but Without Vaginal Bleeding

We describe an unusual ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The unique features of the case include abdominal pain without vaginal bleeding; cervical implantation and a placenta accreta; and the late presentation at 16 weeks of gestation without prior symptoms. Both the initial point-of-care ultrasound and the formal ultrasound were interpreted as showing an intrauterine pregnancy. The clinical presentation was misleading; the correct diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging. We show the ultrasonic images. We discuss cervical ectopic pregnancies, their diagnosis and management. The woman survived but required emergency hysterectomy and many units of blood

How to start and operate a National Emergency Medicine specialty organisation

As a service for the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, a task force of the Specialty Implementation Committee wrote this manuscript of guidelines for developing a National Emergency Medicine (EM) specialty organisation. This manuscript offers structural and procedural considerations for creating or developing an EM specialty organisation in a country or region that currently does not have one. It was written in response to requests for aid in developing a country’s specialty of EM. International EM leaders with experience in the development of national organisations have reviewed these guidelines

Therapy Dogs in the Emergency Department

Introduction: This study examined acceptance by staff and patients of a therapy dog (TD) in the emergency department (ED).Methods: Immediately after TD visits to a University Hospital ED, all available ED staff, patients, and their visitors were invited to complete a survey.Results: Of 125 ‘‘patient’’ and 105 staff responses, most were favorable. Ninety-three percent of patients and 95% of staff agreed that TDs should visit EDs; 87.8% of patients and 92% of staff approved of TDs for both adult and pediatric patients. Fewer than 5% of either patients or staff were afraid of the TDs. Fewer than 10% of patients and staff thought the TDs posed a sanitary risk or interfered with staff work.Conclusion: Both patients and staff approve of TDs in an ED. The benefits of animal-assisted therapy should be further explored in the ED setting. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(4):363–365.]

Therapy Dogs in the Emergency Department

Introduction: This study examined acceptance by staff and patients of a therapy dog (TD) in the emergency department (ED).Methods: Immediately after TD visits to a University Hospital ED, all available ED staff, patients, and their visitors were invited to complete a survey.Results: Of 125 ‘‘patient’’ and 105 staff responses, most were favorable. Ninety-three percent of patients and 95% of staff agreed that TDs should visit EDs; 87.8% of patients and 92% of staff approved of TDs for both adult and pediatric patients. Fewer than 5% of either patients or staff were afraid of the TDs. Fewer than 10% of patients and staff thought the TDs posed a sanitary risk or interfered with staff work.Conclusion: Both patients and staff approve of TDs in an ED. The benefits of animal-assisted therapy should be further explored in the ED setting

Block by block: Building on our knowledge to better care for LGBTQIA+ patients.

BackgroundEmergency physicians need to recognize the diversity of identities held by sexual and gender minorities, as well as the health implications and inequities experienced by these communities. Identities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and many others fall under the LGBTQIA+ acronym. This wide spectrum is seldom discussed in emergency medicine but nonetheless impacts both patient care and patient experience in acute and critical care settings.AimsThis commentary aims to provide a brief but nonexhaustive review of LGBTQIA+ identities and supply a critical framework for applying this understanding to patient encounters in the emergency department, as well as describe the challenges and educational aims at the level of medical school, residency, and postresidency.Materials and methodsThe commonly used and widely accepted definitions of LGBTQIA+ terms are described, as well as implications for patient care and emergency physician education. The authors of this writing group represent the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, LGBTQ Task Force of the Academy of Diversity Inclusion in Medicine.ResultsLGB terms are addressed, with LGBTQIA+ adding "intersex," "asexual," and "+," to include other gender identities and sexual orientations which are not already included. This paper also addresses the terms "transition," "nonbinary," "polyamorous." "two-spirit," "queer," and others. These acronyms and terms continually expand and evolve in the pursuit of inclusivity. Additionally, with some health issues potentially related to medications, hormones, surgery, or to internal or external genitalia, important EM physician tools include gathering an "organ inventory," asking about sexual history, and conducting a physical exam.DiscussionMost persons have congruent biological sex, gender identity, and attraction to the "opposite" gender. However, humans can have every imaginable variation and configuration of chromosomes, genitalia, gender identities, sexual attractions, and sexual behaviors. Terms and definitions are constantly changing and adapting; they may also vary by local culture. Obtaining relevant medical history, conducting an "organ inventory," asking about sexual history in a nonjudgmental way, and conducting a physical exam when warranted can all be important in delivering best possible medical care. Although there has been increased focus on education at the medical school, residency, and faculty level on LGBTQIA+ patient care in the ED, much work remains to be done.ConclusionEmergency physicians should feel confident in providing a model of care that affirms the sexual and gender identities of all the patient populations we serve. Optimal patient-centric care requires a deeper understanding of the patient's biology, gender identity, and sexual behavior encapsulated into the ever-growing acronym LGBTQIA+

Emergency care of LGBTQIA+ patients requires more than understanding the acronym.

Emergency physicians (EPs) frequently deliver care to members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the emergency department. This community suffers from many health disparities important to understand as part of comprehensive care, and these disparities are infrequently discussed in emergency medicine education. Previous data also suggest a need for broader education to increase the comfort of EPs caring for LGBTQIA+ patients. A group of content experts identified key disparities, opportunities for expanded education, and strategies for more inclusive care of LGBTQIA+ patients