eds

In some cases under threat of legislation, hospitals are increasingly investing in patient-lifting and sliding equipment. Such equipment is helping nurses avoid on-the-job injuries and lowering... Read more...

> Trend: St. Louis-area childrens' hospitals are opening up specialized emergency departments within the EDs of other community hospitals. Read more...

Is overcrowding getting worse in your emergency department? Probably, if this survey is any indication. A new poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians found that of almost 1,500... Read more...

It seems that the ever-changing relationship between hospitals and physicians is shifting again. According to new research from the Center for Studying Health System Change, hospitals are now looking... Read more...

While officials won't say exactly what's gotten them stirred up, HHS appears to have some questions about the Joint Commission's hospital accreditation policies. The HHS Inspector General's office... Read more...

Emergency department visits hit a new high in 2005, with more than 115 million visits, says new research from the CDC. That's a jump of five million visits over the previous year, and a substantial 20 percent increase over 10 years.

Over the same time period, the number of hospital EDs decreased more than 9 percent from 4,176 to 3,795, the CDC says. More than half of these patients (62.8 percent) were referred to a physician or clinic for follow-up after their visit, suggesting …

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In an era of emergency department overcrowding, it's certainly worth noting: Iowa hospitals offer the shortest emergency department visits in the United States.

Patient satisfaction research firm Press Ganey Associates, says the national average for emergency department visits is three hours and 42 minutes. In Iowa, however, the average visit is two hours and 18 minutes, shorter than …

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The issue of emergency department preparedness is not a new one, and CMS is getting heat from Congress for not taking action on the problem. In recent years, lower ED capacity and higher patient demand has placed strain on the system even under the best of circumstance, and officials fear EDs are woefully unprepared to handle …

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Ambulance diversions. Boarding. Staffing shortages. You know the ED capacity problem is hitting consumers where they live when the national newsweeklies notice it. This time it's Newsweek, which offers an in-depth analysis of the problems facing the nation's EDs and chews over some proposed solutions. Article

A new bill filed in Florida would require accident victims to get treated at an emergency department within 72 hours if they want their auto insurer to pay the bills. The requirement is part of a larger package which renews the state's no-fault auto regulations. The measure would also boost the minimum auto policy medical coverage level from $10,000 to $15,000. The idea behind the bill is to cut down on post-accident auto fraud, which has increased 378 percent over the past four years, …

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