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Diagnostic errors in the ED occur at rates similar to those in other clinical settings. Not all errors have human causes, and not all are inevitable – this article suggests systems-level opportunities for improvement.
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When delivering bad news, authenticity is the name of the game.
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Delivering Bad News Badly. JAMA. 2023 Feb 14;329(6):463-464. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.24765.
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Violence directed at healthcare workers (HCWs) is common in the ED setting. Studies have demonstrated workplace violence is underreported and can have long term effects on HCWs.
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Exploring verbal and physical workplace violence in a large, urban emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2023 Jan 27;67:1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.01.036. Epub ahead of print.
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This op-ed piece highlights the emotional toll missed diagnoses may take on physicians. The author eloquently reflects on how this experience taught her vulnerability and ultimately strengthened her relationship with this patient.
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Elizabeth A Fleming Notes on Healing After a Missed Diagnosis. JAMA. 2022 Oct 4;328(13):1297-1298. doi: 10.1001/jama.2022.15724.
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Spirituality is a part of the human experience and can be a mechanism to improve patient-centered care.
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The COVID pandemic revealed that misinformation can impede the dissemination of evidence based medicine. This article calls for institutional reform such that physicians who spread misinformation are held accountable.
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Physicians Spreading Misinformation on Social Media – Do Right and Wrong Answers Still Exist in Medicine? N Engl J Med. 2022 May 18. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2204813. Epub ahead of print.
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We need to understand our recent history. The syphilis study is a story we must tell, internalize, and learn from so we won’t make the same mistakes again.
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Fiftieth Anniversary of Uncovering the Tuskegee Syphilis Study: The Story and Timeless Lessons. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2022 May 15;205(10):1145-1158. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202201-0136SO.
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These authors think race is best unmentioned early in case presentations. However, some clinicians come down on the opposite side of this debate. Let’s take a look at both sides.
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First Impressions – Should We Include Race or Ethnicity at the Beginning of Clinical Case Presentations? N Engl J Med. 2021 Dec 30;385(27):2497-2499. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2112312. Epub 2021 Dec 25.
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There is undeniable corporate influence in the practice of emergency medicine, and this could cause problems for patients or for those of us who care for them. We need to thoughtfully consider this.
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Corporate Control of Emergency Departments: Dangers from the Growing Monster. J Emerg Med. 2022 Apr 7;S0736-4679(22)00074-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.01.026. Online ahead of print.
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A Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) task force interviewed academic EM leaders to determine areas for improvement in equitable faculty advancement and compensation, and to create systems-based recommendations in each area.
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Institutional solutions addressing disparities in compensation and advancement of emergency medicine physicians: A critical appraisal of gaps and associated recommendations. Acad Emerg Med. 2022 Jan 22. doi: 10.1111/acem.14452. Epub ahead of print.
