Patient Satisfaction
ED Patient Follow-Up Calls
Calling patients to follow up on their visit to the ED is one of the most satisfying aspects of my practice in Emergency Medicine. As emergency physicians, we are accustomed to being on the receiving end of negative feedback. However, we rarely get a chance to hear the positive. I guarantee if you call your […]
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Improve ED Throughput by Responding to Patient Flow
In this post, I’m going to address throughput. “What does that mean in the context of the emergency department,” you ask? throughput (noun) : the intent of getting the patient to the provider quickly Seems simple, right? After all, isn’t that why the patient came to the ED in the first place? This should not be a problem, […]
Read ArticleTaking Provider-in-Triage Efficiencies to the Next Level with Collaborative Focus on Appropriate Timely Discharges and Admissions
Many emergency departments do not focus resources on lobby triage. This is due, in part, to a misconception that the most influential patient entry point is ED traffic from EMS. This perspective results in strong team members and efficiency and quality strategies being allocated outside of lobby triage. In this post, former VEP Healthcare Chief […]
Read ArticleHave You Observed Your Clinical Decision Unit Lately?
Better collaboration between the ED and hospitalists. A more satisfying patient experience. The majority of admissions discharged home. Shorter lengths of stay. These are the results being achieved at hospitals nationwide thanks to the advantages provided by our Clinical Decision Unit (CDU). A well-run CDU speeds patient turnaround and improves throughput. Patients move out of the […]
Read ArticleIntubation Tips, Part 2
Hopefully, you have already read about NO DESAT and the importance of pre-oxygenation before intubation in Intubation Tips, Part 1. We want to share some more tips that optimize the safety and success of this high-risk procedure. In a great intubation lecture by Dr. Levitan, he covers a wide variety of airway topics. It will […]
Read ArticleWhat Does “Patient Satisfaction” Really Mean in the Emergency Room?
In the last several shifts I’ve worked in the ED I’ve had more people stop and compliment me on my care. I’ve heard the usual, “Do you have a private practice?” compliment and, “I’ve been here a lot and you really took the time to hear what I was saying, I appreciate that.”
Read ArticleFour Lessons for Hospitals from a Trip to Disney World
Recently, I returned from a trip to Disney with my family. It was my third time at the parks, but this trip was different. My wife and I were thrilled to have brought our three children, son in law, and, most importantly, our two grandchildren. Seeing my three and a half year old grandson, Erez, […]
Read ArticleThe New World of Patient Satisfaction: Even Ice Chips Matter
“My wife died uncomfortable and alone. She died thirsty!” The man who spoke those words came in to the Emergency Room recently where I was working a shift. He was accompanied by his wife, a 70-year-old with high sugar, weakness, and nausea. The team worked to get her seen under the presumption that her diabetes […]
Read ArticleImagine If Your Favorite Restaurant Ran Like an Emergency Department
Imagine you walk into a restaurant named Luigi’s. From the décor and the smell of pasta sauce coming from the kitchen, you assume that this restaurant serves Italian food. You walk forward, your name is taken and you are then told to sit off to the side and wait until your name is called so […]
Read ArticleBody Language and Caring for Our Patients
The next patient was a 25 year old female in room 2. The nurse’s note read, “severe abdominal pain – rates it a 10 out of 10.” Like any good emergency medicine physician, I was already considering the differential diagnosis prior to entering the room. Severe pain in a young female could be an ectopic, […]
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