Jonathan Fisher

Half Of Older Americans Seen In Emergency Department In Last Month Of Life; Most Admitted To Hospital, And Many Die There

Emergency department use contributes to high end-of-life costs and is potentially burdensome for patients and family members. We examined emergency department use in the last months of life for patients age sixty-five or older who died while enrolled in a longitudinal study of older adults in the period 1992-2006. We found that 51 percent of the 4,158 [corrected] decedents visited the emergency department in the last month of life, and 75 percent in the last six months of life. Repeat visits were common. A total of 77 percent of the patients seen in the emergency department in the last month of life were admitted to the hospital, and 68 percent of those who were admitted died there. In contrast, patients who enrolled in hospice at least one month before death rarely visited the emergency department in the last month of life. Policies that encourage the preparation of patients and families for death and early enrollment in hospice may prevent emergency department visits at the end of life.

Medical Student Documentation in Electronic Health Records: A Collaborative Statement From the Alliance for Clinical Education

Purpose: The electronic health record (EHR) is an important advancement in health care. It facilitates improvement of health care delivery and coordination of care, but it creates special challenges for student education. This article represents a collaborative effort of the Alliance for Clinical Education (ACE), a multidisciplinary group formed in 1992. ACE recognizes the importance of medical student participation in patient care including the ability of documentation. This article proposes guidelines that can be used by educators to establish expectations on medical student documentation in EHRs. Summary: To provide the best education for medical students in the electronic era, ACE proposes to use the following as practice guidelines for medical student documentation in the EHR: (a) Students must document in the patients chart and their notes should be reviewed for content and format, (b) students must have the opportunity to practice order entry in an EHR—in actual or simulated patient cases—prior to graduation, (c) students should be exposed to the utilization of the decision aids that typically accompany EHRs, and (d) schools must develop a set of medical student competencies related to charting in the EHR and state how they would evaluate it. This should include specific competencies to be documented at each stage, and by time of graduation. In addition, ACE recommends that accreditation bodies such as the Liaison Committee for Medical Education utilize stronger language in their educational directives standards to ensure compliance with educational principles. This will guarantee that the necessary training and resources are available to ensure that medical students have the fundamental skills for lifelong clinical practice. Conclusions: ACE recommends that medical schools develop a clear set of competencies related to student in the EHR which medical students must achieve prior to graduation in order to ensure they are ready for clinical practice.

Predictors of delay in presentation to the ED in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes

Delays in seeking medical attention for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) preclude early application of life-saving treatment and diminish efficacy. Previous studies suggest 3-hour delays between onset of symptoms and ED arrival in patients with typical presentations of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A prospective observational study was conducted in an urban ED measuring lag time (LT) among adults presenting within 48 hours of onset of symptoms suggestive of ACS. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were performed on 5 predictors: age, sex, symptoms at presentation, and 2 different outcomes (AMI and ACS). Three hundred seventy-four patients were enrolled. Mean age was 63 years with 38% 70 years or older. Seventy-three percent of all patients with suspected ACS presented with chest pain, 27% with atypical symptoms. Overall mean LT was 8.7 hours (standard deviation 11). In subgroup analysis, patients aged >/=70 years were more likely to have LTs >12 hours (29% vs. 19% P =.043) and patients without chest pain had longer mean LTs (11.6 vs. 7.6 hours, P =.01). Delay in ED presentation is group specific. Advanced age and patients with atypical symptoms are predictive of longer LTs. Contrary to previously published data, patients with symptoms suspicious for ACS can delay an average of 9 hours, which might alter current thinking in the prevention and care of these patients.

Factors That Influence Medical Student Selection of an Emergency Medicine Residency Program: Implications for Training Programs

OBJECTIVES An understanding of student decision-making when selecting an emergency medicine (EM) training program is essential for program directors as they enter interview season. To build upon preexisting knowledge, a survey was created to identify and prioritize the factors influencing candidate decision-making of U.S. medical graduates. METHODS This was a cross-sectional, multi-institutional study that anonymously surveyed U.S. allopathic applicants to EM training programs. It took place in the 3-week period between the 2011 National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) rank list submission deadline and the announcement of match results. RESULTS Of 1,525 invitations to participate, 870 candidates (57%) completed the survey. Overall, 96% of respondents stated that both geographic location and individual program characteristics were important to decision-making, with approximately equal numbers favoring location when compared to those who favored program characteristics. The most important factors in this regard were preference for a particular geographic location (74.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 72% to 78%) and to be close to spouse, significant other, or family (59.7%, 95% CI = 56% to 63%). Factors pertaining to geographic location tend to be out of the control of the program leadership. The most important program factors include the interview experience (48.9%, 95% CI = 46% to 52%), personal experience with the residents (48.5%, 95% CI = 45% to 52%), and academic reputation (44.9%, 95% CI = 42% to 48%). Unlike location, individual program factors are often either directly or somewhat under the control of the program leadership. Several other factors were ranked as the most important factor a disproportionate number of times, including a rotation in that emergency department (ED), orientation (academic vs. community), and duration of training (3-year vs. 4-year programs). For a subset of applicants, these factors had particular importance in overall decision-making. CONCLUSIONS The vast majority of applicants to EM residency programs employed a balance of geographic location factors with individual program factors in selecting a residency program. Specific program characteristics represent the greatest opportunity to maximize the success of the immediate interview experience/season, while others provide potential for strategic planning over time. A working knowledge of these results empowers program directors to make informed decisions while providing an appreciation for the limitations in attracting applicants.

Critical appraisal of emergency medicine educational research: the best publications of 2009.

OBJECTIVES The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research published in 2012 that was methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). METHODS A search of the English language literature in 2012 querying Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsychInfo, PubMed, and Scopus identified EM studies using hypothesis-testing or observational investigations of educational interventions. Two reviewers independently screened all of the publications and removed articles using established exclusion criteria. This year, publications limited to a single-site survey design that measured satisfaction or self-assessment on unvalidated instruments were not formally reviewed. Six reviewers then independently ranked all remaining publications using one of two scoring systems depending on whether the study methodology was primarily qualitative or quantitative. Each scoring system had nine criteria, including four related to methodology, that were chosen a priori, to standardize evaluation by reviewers. The quantitative study scoring system was used previously to appraise medical education published annually in 2008 through 2011, while a separate, new qualitative study scoring system was derived and implemented consisting of parallel metrics. RESULTS Forty-eight medical education research papers met the a priori criteria for inclusion, and 33 (30 quantitative and three qualitative studies) were reviewed. Seven quantitative and two qualitative studies met the criteria for inclusion as exemplary and are summarized in this article. CONCLUSIONS This critical appraisal series aims to promote superior education research by reviewing and highlighting nine of the 48 major education research studies with relevance to EM published in 2012. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2012 papers are noted.

Highlights in Emergency Medicine Medical Education Research: 2008

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this article is to highlight medical education research studies published in 2008 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine. METHODS Through a PubMed search of the English language literature in 2008, 30 medical education research studies were independently identified as hypothesis-testing investigations and measurements of educational interventions. Six reviewers independently rated and scored all articles based on eight anchors, four of which related to methodologic criteria. Articles were ranked according to their total rating score. A ranking agreement among the reviewers of 83% was established a priori as a minimum for highlighting articles in this review. RESULTS Five medical education research studies met the a priori criteria for inclusion and are reviewed and summarized here. Four of these employed experimental or quasi-experimental methodology. Although technology was not a component of the structured literature search employed to identify the candidate articles for this review, 14 of the articles identified, including four of the five highlighted articles, employed or studied technology as a focus of the educational research. Overall, 36% of the reviewed studies were supported by funding; three of the highlighted articles were funded studies. CONCLUSIONS This review highlights quality medical education research studies published in 2008, with outcomes of relevance to teaching and education in emergency medicine. It focuses on research methodology, notes current trends in the use of technology for learning in emergency medicine, and suggests future avenues for continued rigorous study in education.

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SIGN-OUT CHECKLIST IMPROVES TRANSFER OF INFORMATION AT SHIFT CHANGE

BACKGROUND Transitions of care are ubiquitous in the emergency department (ED) and inevitably introduce the opportunity for errors. Few emergency medicine residency programs provide formal training or a standard process for patient handoffs. Checklists have been shown to be effective quality-improvement measures in inpatient settings and may be a feasible method to improve ED handoffs. OBJECTIVE To determine if the use of a sign-out checklist improves the accuracy and efficiency of resident sign-out in the ED. METHODS A prospective pre-/postinterventional study of residents rotating in the ED at a tertiary academic medical center. Trained research assistants observed resident sign-out during shift change over a 2-week period and completed a data collection tool to indicate whether or not key components of sign-out occurred and time to sign out each patient. An electronic sign-out checklist was implemented using a multi-faceted educational effort. A 2-week postintervention observation phase was conducted. Proportions, means, and nonparametric comparison tests were calculated using STATA. RESULTS One hundred fifteen sign-outs were observed prior to checklist implementation and 114 were observed after. Significant improvements were seen in four sign-out components: reporting of history of present illness increased from 81% to 99%, ED course increased from 75% to 86%, likely diagnosis increased from 60% to 77%, and team awareness of plan increased from 21% to 41%. Use of the repeat-back technique decreased from 13% to 5% after checklist implementation and time to sign-out showed no significant change. CONCLUSION Implementation of a checklist improved the transfer of information without increasing time to sign-out.

Public opinion of a stroke clinical trial using exception from informed consent

BackgroundAcute stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Clinical trials in stroke are challenging because victims often do not have the capacity to provide informed consent, excluding those patients most likely to benefit from the research.AimWe evaluated patient willingness to participate in a hypothetical acute stroke trial using an exception from informed consent.MethodsConsecutive patients presenting to four emergency departments (EDs) underwent structured interviews regarding a hypothetical stroke trial using an exception from informed consent.ResultsOf 461 (72% of eligible) participants, 55% (95% CI, 50%–59%) were willing to be enrolled in the hypothetical study without giving informed consent. After multivariable analysis, independent predictors of willingness to enroll included Catholic religion (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.17–2.10) and belief that current therapy offers a >50% chance of full recovery (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05–1.57). There was no difference between the proportion willing to enroll in a cardiac arrest study vs. a stroke study (55% vs. 55%, p = 0.83)ConclusionsFifty-five percent of ED patients would be willing to be enrolled in a stroke trial using exception from informed consent.

Critical Appraisal of Emergency Medicine Educational Research: The Best Publications of 2010: CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF EM EDUCATION RESEARCH: 2010

OBJECTIVES The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research studies published in 2010 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). METHODS A search of the English language literature in 2010 querying PubMed, Scopus, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and PsychInfo identified 41 EM studies that used hypothesis-testing or observational investigations of educational interventions. Five reviewers independently ranked all publications based on 10 criteria, including four related to methodology, that were chosen a priori to standardize evaluation by reviewers. This method was used previously to appraise medical education published in 2008 and 2009. RESULTS Five medical education research studies met the a priori criteria for inclusion and are reviewed and summarized here. Comparing the literature of 2010 to 2008 and 2009, the number of published educational research papers increased from 30 to 36 and then to 41. The number of funded studies remained fairly stable over the past 3 years at 13 (2008), 16 (2009), and 9 (2010). As in past years, research involving the use of technology accounted for a significant number of publications (34%), including three of the five highlighted studies. CONCLUSIONS Forty-one EM educational studies published in 2010 were identified. This critical appraisal reviews and highlights five studies that met a priori quality indicators. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2010 papers are noted.

A Brief Educational Intervention May Increase Public Acceptance of Emergency Research Without Consent

OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that knowing the regulations regarding emergency research without consent would increase public support for this type of research. METHODS Randomized controlled trial. Consecutive patients presenting during eight 24-h periods received one of two interviews; the intervention interview included an educational paragraph. RESULTS There were 473 (74% of eligible) patients who participated: 51% (95% confidence interval [CI] 46-55) were willing to be enrolled in a study using exception to informed consent; 84% (95% CI 80-87) believed that current therapy for cardiac arrest offers ≥ 50% chance of full recovery, and these patients were less willing to enroll (odds ratio [OR] 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9). The educational intervention increased willingness to enroll (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS A brief educational intervention had only a modest effect on willingness to participate in emergency research without consent. It may be more important to educate patients on the shortcomings of current therapy than on the ethical and regulatory justifications for such research.