News
LETTER: Emory Hospital Medicine’s Growth Sparks Establishment of NP, PA Career Track
June 21, 2016
Due to many reasons, the healthcare paradigm has shifted, dictating alternative staffing models to manage the burgeoning inpatient census of hospital-based physicians.
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Better Reporting Needed to Accurately Estimate Medical Error as Cause of Death in U.S.
June 20, 2016
Clinical question: What is the contribution of hospital-based medical errors to national mortality in the U.S. compared to other causes listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Background: Medical error can contribute to patient mortality.
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Hospital Admission, Stroke Clinic Follow-up Improve Outcomes for Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack, Minor Ischemic Stroke
June 20, 2016
Clinical question: How do guideline-based care and outcomes of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor ischemic stroke differ among patients admitted to the hospital and discharged from the ED, as well as in those referred versus not referred to stroke prevention clinics following di
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Standardized Clinical Pathways’ Effects on Outcomes
June 17, 2016
Clinical question: What are the effects of implementing standardized clinical pathways on length of stay, cost, readmissions, and patient quality of life? [caption id="attachment_13645" align="alignright" width="150"] Dr.
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Does Preoperative Hypercapnia Predict Postoperative Complications in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
June 10, 2016
Clinical question: Are patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and preoperative hypercapnia more likely to experience postoperative complications than those without? Background: Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is known to increase medical morbidity in patients with OSA, but its impact
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Rapid Immunoassays for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Offer Fast Screening Possibilities
June 10, 2016
Clinical question: How useful are rapid immunoassays (RIs) compared to other tests for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)? Background: HIT is a clinicopathologic diagnosis, which traditionally requires clinical criteria and laboratory confirmation through initial testing with enzyme-linked im
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Impact of Delayed Discharge Summary Completion on Hospital Readmission
June 8, 2016
Clinical question: Is a delay in completion of hospital discharge summary associated with hospital readmissions? Background: Inpatient discharge summaries serve as a communication tool to future care providers.
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Effects of Assigning Medical Teams to Nursing Units on Patient Care
June 8, 2016
Clinical question: Does assigning a single medical team to a nursing unit (regionalizing) improve communication and prevent adverse events? Background: Many factors impact communication in healthcare delivery. Failures in communication are a known source of adverse events in hospital care.
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Troponin Leak Portends Poorer Outcomes in Congestive Heart Disease Hospitalizations
June 6, 2016
Clinical question: What is the association between detectable cardiac troponin (cTn) levels and outcomes in persons hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF)? Background: There are millions of ADHF hospitalizations per year, and all-cause mortality and readmission rates are high.
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New Guidelines for Cardiovascular Imaging in Chest Pain
June 6, 2016
Clinical question: Which cardiovascular imaging modalities can augment triage of ED patients with chest pain? Background: Because absolute event rates for patients with chest pain and normal initial ECG findings are not low enough to drive discharge triage decisions, and findings that patients wi
