Advocates for Evidence-Based Health Policy Speakers
Author: Emergency Medicine Residents' Association
As emergency physicians, we care for all members of society, and as such have a unique vantage point on the state of health care. What we find frustrating in our EDs – such as inadequate social services, the dearth of primary care providers, and the lack of mental health services – are universal problems. As EM residents and fellows, we learn the management of myocardial infarctions and traumas, and how to intubate, but we are not taught how health policy affects all aspects of our experience in the ED. Furthermore, given our unique position in the health care system, we have an incredible opportunity to advocate for our patients, for society, and for physicians. Yet, with so many competing interests vying for our conference education time, advocacy is often not included in the curricula. This is the gap this initiative aims to fill. Each month, you will see a review of a new health policy article and how it is applicable to emergency physicians.
The Unintended Consequences of Saving Lives
A half-century ago, as football players traded leather caps for helmets, the number of football-related deaths and intracranial hemorrhages declined significantly. However, players began to play more aggressively with this newfound protection, leading to a 5-fold increase in spine fracture-dislocations, Continue Reading …
If You Build It, They Will Check In
As freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) grow in number, so grows their financial impact on U.S. healthcare spending. A recent study analyzed the effect of FSEDs on Medicare expenditures while considering confounding economic variables present in the healthcare marketplace. Ultimately, the Continue Reading …
Nobody Likes Surprises
A surprise medical bill is a bill a patient receives from an out-of-network provider after seeking care at a facility considered ‘in-network’ by their health insurance plan. In many cases, patients are unaware they are receiving care from an out-of-network Continue Reading …
Thirty Million Outside the “Golden Hour”
In the US, cohesive trauma systems began to coalesce in the 1960s, largely based on the triage, transport and resuscitation concepts derived from WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam War. Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society Continue Reading …
Is There Benefit to HIE in the ED?
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there have been substantial investments in developing health information exchanges (HIEs) to electronically transfer medical records between health care providers. The goals of using exchanges are to minimize service duplication, length Continue Reading …
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