scholarly journals Assessing improvements in emergency department referrals to a hospital-based violence intervention program

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayda Watkins ◽  
Na’il Scoggins ◽  
Brooke M. Cheaton ◽  
Mark Nimmer ◽  
Michael N. Levas ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Youth violence is a major public health concern in the United States. Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) are integral in connecting youth sustaining interpersonal violence-related injuries to medical, mental health, and social services. At our pediatric emergency department, our baseline referral rate to the established HVIP was 32.5%. From November 2018–2019, we aimed to increase the percent of eligible patients referred to our HVIP from 32.5 to 70% for patients aged 7–18 years who present to our Level 1 emergency department/trauma center with a violent injury. Methods For this quality improvement project, we recorded key aspects of the referral process, such as patient eligibility, who placed referrals, and when referrals were placed in relation to the ED admission. Key stakeholders were interviewed to identify specific interventions. Our key interventions were: 1. Educating providers on eligibility requirements. 2. Encouraging nurses to enter consults at the time of admission. 3. Publishing information about program referrals in the weekly nursing newsletter. 4. Updating social workers on eligibility requirements for the HVIP. We used PDSA cycles to inform our project. Our primary outcome measure was the number of eligible patients referred to our HVIP and measures were analyzed using statistical process control charts. Results The HVIP-eligible population had the following demographics: 31.1% female and a mean age 14.3 ± 2.7, 82.6% assaults and 17.4% gunshot wounds. From 11/2018 to 11/2019, there were 78 referrals to the HVIP, out of 167 eligible patients. The referral rate improved from 32.5% pre-interventions to 61.1% post-interventions, showing an 88% increase. Conclusion(s) We noted an increase in referrals to our HVIP following our interventions that centered on educating, advertising, and encouraging. Future studies will focus on analyzing other aspects of the enrollment process, such as obtaining patient consent.

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S20-S21
Author(s):  
A. Tolmie ◽  
R. Erker ◽  
T. Oyedokun ◽  
E. Sullivan ◽  
T. Graham ◽  
...  

Introduction: Tobacco smoking is a priority public health concern, and a leading cause of death and disability globally. While the smoking prevalence in Canada is approximately 13-18%, the proportion of smokers among emergency department (ED) patients has been found to be significantly higher. This disparity primes the emergency department as a critical environment to provide smoking cessation counselling and support. Methods: A verbal questionnaire was administered to adult patients (18+) presenting to Royal University, Saskatoon City, and St. Paul's Hospital ED's. Patients were excluded if they were underage, too ill, or physically/mentally unable to complete the questionnaire independently. Patients’ smoking habits were also correlated with Fagerstrom tobacco dependence scores, chief complaints, Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS) scores, and willingness to partake in ED specific cessation counselling. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software to determine smoking prevalence and compared to Statistics Canada data using chi-square tests. Results: In total, 1190 eligible patients were approached, and 1078 completed the questionnaire. Adult Saskatoon ED patients demonstrated a cigarette smoking prevalence of 19.6%, which is significantly higher than the general adult Saskatchewan public at 15.1% (p < 0.0001). Comparing smoking and non-smoking cohorts, there are no significant differences in CTAS scores (p = 0.60). Of the proposed cessation interventions, ED cessation counselling was most popular among patients (62.4%), followed by receiving a pamphlet (56.2%), and being contacted by a smokers’ quit line (49.5%). Out of the smoking cohort, 51.4% indicated they want to quit smoking, and would be willing to partake in ED-specific cessation counselling, if available. Additionally, 88.1% of current smokers started smoking when they were less than 19 years old. Conclusion: The higher smoking prevalence demonstrated in ED patients highlights the need for a targeted intervention program that is feasible for the fast-paced environment. Quit attempts have been demonstrated to be more efficacious with repeated interventions, which could be achieved by training ED staff to conduct brief motivational interviews and faxing referrals to a smokers' quit line for follow-up. Furthermore, pediatric ED's could be a valuable location for cigarette smoking screening, as the majority began smoking in their adolescence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 70-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Pierson ◽  
Keiko Goto ◽  
Joan Giampaoli ◽  
Alyson Wylie ◽  
Ben Seipel ◽  
...  

The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States is a major health concern and is associated with increased health risks. The goal of this intervention was to develop and pilot test strategies based on mindful eating practices that foster healthy eating behaviors among elementary school children and their families. Mindful eating practice engages all of ones senses and has been shown to decrease impulsive food decisions and increase awareness of hunger and fullness cues. Using Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), class interventions and take-home activities were developed to teach mindful eating strategies to Hispanic and non-Hispanic 3rd through 5th grade elementary school children and their parents. The results of this research will: 1) contribute to the scientific literature regarding the impact of mindful eating practice on children’s eating behavior, 2) provide an alternate strategy for weight loss and management among children, and 3) provide parents and teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote mindful eating among children and families.


Author(s):  
Na'il O. Scoggins ◽  
Jayda B. Watkins ◽  
Brooke M. Cheaton ◽  
Mark Nimmer ◽  
Micheal N. Levas ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Hachey ◽  
Jason A. Gregg ◽  
Tamara L. Pavlik-Maus ◽  
Jill S. Jones

Opioid use disorder has risen to epidemic proportions in the United States at an alarming rate in the past decade and is considered a leading public health concern. Women have a higher rate of acute and chronic pain conditions and are more likely to be prescribed opioids for pain management. The disproportionate incidence of opioid use, misuse, and progression to heroin and injectable drug use among reproductive age women is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Of particular concern are the unique health risks opioid-dependent women face including immune system alterations, endocrinopathies, diminished fertility, psychosocial isolation, interpersonal violence, and unintentional overdose. Opioid use in pregnancy is associated with negative maternal and neonatal consequences and requires comprehensive, multidisciplinary services for the co-occurring medical, mental health, infectious disease, social stressors, and legal issues. Neonatal abstinence syndrome is linked to a cluster of physiological withdrawal symptoms and considered the primary adverse outcome of opioid exposure in newborns. Maternal medication-assisted treatment with methadone or buprenorphine to decrease the negative effects of neonatal withdrawal is the standard of care for opioid use disorders in pregnancy. The complexity of services required for maternal opioid use disorders requires collaborative and multidisciplinary management strategies to optimize maternal and neonatal outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
Trishna Shrestha ◽  
Sneha Pradhananga ◽  
Kabita Hada Batajoo ◽  
Manjita Bajracharya

Introduction: Patients leaving against the advice of the treating team before being certified as fit is a major concern and challenge for the treating professionals as it possesses adverse medical outcomes. This study hence aimed at identifying the prevalence and major factors affecting such discharges so that advocacy can be done to help prevent it. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at emergency department of a tertiary center in Lalitpur from 15th May 2019 to 15th August 2019. All the patients visiting the emergency department were included in the study and a non-probability purposive sampling method was used excluding the patients who denied giving reasons for them leaving against medical advice. Data was collected using pre-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS-v21 software. Results: A hundred and fifteen patients (4.08%) left against medical advice out of 2812 patients who presented to emergency department. There were 63 male patients (54.8%), 75 patients of the total patients in the age group of 15-44 years (65.2%) and those living within a distance of 1km from the hospital (53%). The most common reason for the patients leaving against medical advice was found to be due to financial constraint (38.3%) followed by preference to other hospitals (16.5%). Conclusion: Patients leaving against medical advice possesses a small percentage of actual hospital admissions but is still a major health concern as it drastically increases the morbidity, re-admission rates and total health-care costs. Hence, understanding the general characteristics and predictors of such discharges is of utmost importance to help improve the patient outcome and reduce the health-care costs.  


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos ◽  
Marco Thimm-Kaiser ◽  
Adam Benzekri ◽  
Donna Futterman

Despite significant progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the United States, HIV prevention and treatment disparities among key populations remain a national public health concern. While new HIV diagnoses are increasing among people under age 30—in particular among racial, ethnic, and sexual minority adolescents and young adults (AYA)—dominant prevention and treatment paradigms too often inadequately consider the unique HIV service needs of AYA. To address this gap, we characterize persistent and largely overlooked AYA disparities across the HIV prevention and treatment continuum, identify AYA-specific limitations in extant resources for improving HIV service delivery in the United States, and propose a novel AYA-centered differentiated care framework adapted to the unique ecological and developmental factors shaping engagement, adherence, and retention in HIV services among AYA. Shifting the paradigm for AYA to differentiated HIV care is a promising approach that warrants implementation and evaluation as part of reinforced national efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Brittany M. Stopa ◽  
Maya Harary ◽  
Ray Jhun ◽  
Arun Job ◽  
Saef Izzy ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVETraumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US, but the true incidence of TBI is unknown.METHODSThe National Trauma Data Bank National Sample Program (NTDB NSP) was queried for 2007 and 2013, and population-based weighted estimates of TBI-related emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths were calculated. These data were compared to the 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on TBI, which used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s National (“Nationwide” before 2012) Inpatient Sample and National Emergency Department Sample.RESULTSIn the NTDB NSP the incidence of TBI-related ED visits was 59/100,000 in 2007 and 62/100,000 in 2013. However, in the CDC report there were 534/100,000 in 2007 and 787/100,000 in 2013. The CDC estimate for ED visits was 805% higher in 2007 and 1169% higher in 2013. In the NTDB NSP, the incidence of TBI-related deaths was 5/100,000 in 2007 and 4/100,000 in 2013. In the CDC report, the incidence was 18/100,000 in both years. The CDC estimate for deaths was 260% higher in 2007 and 325% higher in 2013.CONCLUSIONSThe databases disagreed widely in their weighted estimates of TBI incidence: CDC estimates were consistently higher than NTDB NSP estimates, by an average of 448%. Although such a discrepancy may be intuitive, this is the first study to quantify the magnitude of disagreement between these databases. Given that research, funding, and policy decisions are made based on these estimates, there is a need for a more accurate estimate of the true national incidence of TBI.


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