Listed below are some articles and abstracts on topics related to enhancing emergency services. New articles and abstracts will be added to the top as published, and then moved to the appropriate section after one month.
Wiler, J. L., Gentle, C., Halfpenny, J. M. et al.
Optimizing emergency department front-end operations.
Ann Emerg Med. 2010 Feb;55:142-160.e1.
The authors of this study review the current literature to identify "high-impact" front-end operational improvements for emergency departments. Although they conclude that there are few (and often methodologically flawed) studies that provide useful data, they provide an excellent overview of current strategies used to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Cheung, D. S., Kelly, J. J., Beach, C. et al.
Improving handoffs in the emergency department.
Ann Emerg Med. 2010 Feb;55:171-180.
It is increasingly recognized that the "handoff," when the outgoing physician or nurse signs out to their incoming counterpart, represents a period of significant concern for miscommunication and medical legal risk. The purpose of this article is to provide "collective thinking" about the process and safety of handoffs between physicians in the ED (although it also has obvious applicability to nursing handoffs). For those with online access to the Annals of Emergency Medicine, an excellent accompanying editorial is here.
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