Top Stories: October 2020
We invite you to take a moment to explore some featured articles around the greater Emergency Medicine community.
Brigham and Women's Taps Mental Health Startup to Use AI to Track Providers' Stress
“Brigham and Women's Hospital has tapped mental health startup Rose to help support clinicians' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The health crisis has taken a toll on the mental and emotional health of front-line workers.
During the pilot program, emergency health care professionals at Brigham and Women’s Hospital will receive access to the Rose platform, which monitors their levels of well-being and detects changes in real time.” From Fierce Healthcare.
Dr Ted Herbosa shares his story of life as an emergency medicine physician in the Philippines
“Dr Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa was the Health Undersecretary of Philippines from 2010 to 2015. One of his important accomplishments during his term was helping achieve Universal Health Coverage. He also led the modernization of public hospitals through Health Facilities Enhancement Funds and the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). As CIO, he achieved COBIT 5 Certification, and developed and implemented the National eHealth Strategic Framework Plan. He also served as the Coordinator of Foreign Medical Teams that responded after Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013.” From IFEM.
Racism in Healthcare: What You Need to Know
“Racial discrimination permeates the healthcare systems of many countries, including the United States. This has negative consequences for both patients and healthcare workers, leading to higher risks of illness and, in some cases, lower standards of care for people of color (POC).” From Medical News Today.
Halloween: More Frightful, Less Delightful
“The coronavirus has put a new scare into Halloween.
As millions of U.S. children pick out their costumes and gear up for the annual candy-fueled fright-fest, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning parents not to let their little Harry Potters and Wonder Women take part in ‘traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door.’” From NBC News.
Measles in the DR Congo: by Air, Boat, and Foot to Deliver the Vaccine
“For the past two years, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been grappling with the world's worst outbreak of measles, which has killed more than 7,000 children. The minister of health says the outbreak is over but experts say that with a relatively low rate of vaccination - just 60% - it is just a matter of time before there is another. Journalist Sara Assarsson and photographer Johannes Tegner meet the health workers going to great lengths delivering these vital but delicate supplies.” From BBC News.
Involuntary Admission of a Suicidal Patient
“Patients with suicidal thoughts or attempts pose unique challenges, and few universal standards of care exist for discharging potentially suicidal patients against medical advice.
A suicidal patient, once in the ED, often decides he does not want to stay for further evaluation and demands to leave. Patients and medical staff can be harmed by allowing a suicidal patient to leave the ED, and it is the physician's task to attempt to short-circuit this unwise and usually poorly reasoned decision.” From Emergency Medicine News.
Emergency Medicine Turf War Heats Up
“Tensions have risen in the ongoing clash between emergency medicine physicians and the advanced practice professionals (APPs) who specialize in their discipline over the latter group's use of terms like ‘residency’ and ‘fellowship’ in postgraduate training programs.
Last month, nearly all professional organizations representing emergency physicians issued a joint statement calling for those terms to be reserved solely for physician graduates of medical schools.” From MedPage Today.
