Disparities in Emergency Medical Services Use, Prehospital Notification, and Symptom Onset to Arrival in Patients With Acute Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in time to hospital presentation and prehospital stroke care may be important drivers in inequities in acute stroke treatment rates, functional outcomes, and mortality. It is unknown how patient-level factors, such as race and ethnicity and county-level socioeconomic status, affect these aspects of prehospital stroke care. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of patients with ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage in the Get With the Guidelines-Stroke registry, presenting from July 2015 to December 2019, with symptom onset ≤24 hours. Multivariable logistic regression and quantile regression were used to investigate the outcomes of interest: emergency medical services (EMS) transport (versus private vehicle), EMS prehospital notification (versus no prehospital notification), and stroke symptom onset to time of arrival at the emergency department. Prespecified covariates included patient-level, hospital-level, and county-level characteristics. RESULTS: The inclusion criteria was met by the 606 369 patients. Of the patients, 51.2% were men and 69.9% White, with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Severity of 4 (IQR, 2-10), and median social deprivation index (SDI) of 51 (IQR, 27-75). Median symptom onset to arrival time was 176 minutes (IQR, 64-565). Black race was significantly associated with prolonged symptom onset to emergency department arrival time (+28.21 minutes [95% CI, 25.59-30.84]), and decreased odds of EMS prehospital notification (OR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.78-0.82]). SDI was not associated with differences in EMS use but was associated with lower odds of EMS prehospital notification (upper SDI tercile versus lowest, OR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.78-0.81]). SDI was also significantly associated with stroke symptom onset to emergency department arrival time (upper SDI tercile versus lowest +2.56 minutes [95% CI, 0.58-4.53]). CONCLUSIONS: In this national cross-sectional study, Black race was associated with prolonged symptom onset to time of arrival intervals and significantly decreased odds of EMS prehospital notification, despite similar use of EMS transport. Greater county-level deprivation was also associated with reduced odds of EMS prehospital notification and slightly prolonged stroke symptom onset to emergency department arrival time. Efforts to reduce place-based disparities in stroke care must address significant inequities in prehospital care of acute stroke and continue to address health inequities associated with race and ethnicity.

Buckle me up! A randomised controlled trial using a tablet-based emergency department intervention for child car safety education.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Correct child car restraint use significantly reduces risk of death and serious injury in motor vehicle crashes, but millions of US children ride with improper restraints. We created a tablet-based car restraint educational intervention using Computer Intervention Authoring Software (CIAS) and examined its impact on knowledge and behaviours among parents in the paediatric emergency department (PED). METHODS: This was a non-blinded, randomised controlled trial of parents of PED patients ages 0-12 years. Participants were evaluated for baseline car restraint knowledge and behaviour. The intervention group completed an interactive tablet-based module, while the control group received printed handouts on car restraint safety. After 1 week, both groups received a follow-up survey assessing changes in car restraint knowledge and behaviour. Logistic regressions determined predictors of knowledge retention and behavioural changes. Parents in the CIAS group were also surveyed on programme acceptability. RESULTS: 211 parents completed the study with follow-up data. There was no significant difference in baseline car restraint knowledge (74.3% correct in intervention, 61.8% in control, p=0.15), or increase in follow-up restraint knowledge. Significantly more intervention-group caregivers reported modifying their child's car restraint at follow-up (52.5% vs 31.8%,p=0.003), and 93.7% of them found CIAS helpful in learning to improve car safety. CONCLUSION: Parents had overall high levels of car restraint knowledge. Using CIAS led to positive behavioural changes regarding child car restraint safety, with the vast majority reporting positive attitudes towards CIAS. This novel, interactive, tablet-based tool is a useful PED intervention for behavioural change in parents. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03799393.

Emergency department resource utilization among nursing home residents, a National Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Persons 65 years and older (older persons), particularly residents of nursing homes (NHs), disproportionately access the emergency department (ED) and utilize more medical resources. The goal of this study is to provide a contemporary description of healthcare utilization patterns and disposition decisions for United States (US) NH residents presenting to EDs. METHODS: Older persons presenting to EDs in the US were identified in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) 2017, 2018 and 2019 datasets. We examined demographic, clinical, and resource use characteristics and outcomes. After survey weighting, we compared the frequency of different imaging, medications, clinical interventions, and outcomes in the ED between NH residents and those residing outside NHs. RESULTS: From 2017 to 2019, older persons made 24,441,285 annual visits to the ED, comprising 17.5% of all visits. Among these, 1,579,916 visits (6.5%) were by NH residents. Compared with non-NH residents, NH residents were older (mean age: 81.2 [95%CI 81.5-82.9] vs 76.1 [95%CI 75.8-76.4]), underwent more imaging (82.8% [95%CI 79.5-86.1] vs 71.6% [95%CI 69.9-73.3]), were administered fewer potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in the ED or upon discharge (9.5% [95%CI 6.2-2.7] vs 17.1% [95%CI 15.8-18.4]), and had a higher proportion of visits resulting in hospital admission (44.1% [95%CI 38.2-49.9] vs 26.0% [95%CI 23.3, 28.7]). CONCLUSIONS: Older NH residents presenting to the ED use more resources and are more likely to be hospitalized compared to older persons residing outside NHs. The resource-intensive nature of these visits highlights the importance of targeted, multi-disciplinary interventions that optimize ED care for this population.

Extremes of Emergency Department Boarding are Associated With Poorer Financial Performance Among Hospitals.

GOAL: Boarding emergency department (ED) patients is associated with reductions in quality of care, patient safety and experience, and ED operational efficiency. However, ED boarding is ultimately reflective of inefficiencies in hospital capacity management. The ability of a hospital to accommodate variability in patient flow presumably affects its financial performance, but this relationship is not well studied. We investigated the relationship between ED boarding and hospital financial performance measures. Our objective was to see if there was an association between key financial measures of business performance and limitations in patient progression efficiency, as evidenced by ED boarding. METHODS: Cross-sectional ED operational data were collected from the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance, a voluntarily self-reporting operational database that includes 54% of EDs in the United States. Freestanding EDs, pediatric EDs and EDs with missing boarding data were excluded. The key operational outcome variable was boarding time. We reviewed the financial information of these nonprofit institutions by accessing their Internal Revenue Service Form 990. We examined standard measures of financial performance, including return on equity, total margin, total asset turnover, and equity multiplier (EM). We studied these associations using quantile regressions of added ED volume, ED admission percentage, urban versus nonurban ED site location, trauma status, and percentage of the population receiving Medicare and Medicaid as covariates in the regression models. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Operational data were available for 892 EDs from 31 states. Of those, 127 reported a Form 990 in the year corresponding to the ED boarding measures. Median boarding time across EDs was 148 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 100-216). A significant relationship exists between boarding and the EM, along with a negative association with the hospital's total profit margin in the highest-performing hospitals (by profit margin percentage). After adjusting for the covariates in the regression model, we found that for every 10 min above 90 min of boarding, the mean EM for the top quartile increased from 245.8% to 249.5% (p < .001). In hospitals in the top 90th percentile of total margin, every 10 min beyond the median ED boarding interval led to a decrease in total margin of 0.24%. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Using the largest available national registry of ED operational data and concordant nonprofit financial reports, higher boarding among the highest-profitability hospitals (i.e., top 10%) is associated with a drag on profit margin, while hospitals with the highest boarding are associated with the highest leverage (i.e., indicated by the EM). These relationships suggest an association between a key ED indicator of hospital capacity management and overall institutional financial performance.

Statewide Policy to Increase Provision of Take-Home Naloxone at Emergency Department Visits for Opioid Overdose, Rhode Island, 2018‒2019.

In 2017, Rhode Island responded to rising overdose deaths by establishing statewide emergency department (ED) treatment standards for opioid overdose and opioid use disorder. One requirement of the policy is that providers prescribe or provide take-home naloxone to anyone presenting to EDs with opioid overdose. Among adults presenting to EDs with opioid overdose from 2018 to 2019, approximately half received take-home naloxone. Receipt of naloxone was associated with administration of naloxone before ED presentation, ED policy certification level, and regional overdose frequency. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(4):372-377. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307213).

Frequency, Type, and Degree of Potential Harm of Adverse Safety Events among Pediatric Emergency Medical Services Encounters.

BACKGROUND: Only 5-10% of emergency medical services (EMS) patients are children, and most pediatric encounters are low-acuity. EMS chart review has been used to identify adverse safety events (ASEs) in high-acuity and high-risk pediatric encounters. The objective of this work was to evaluate the frequency, type, and potential harm of ASEs in varied acuity pediatric EMS encounters. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated pediatric (ages 0-18 years) prehospital records from 15 EMS agencies among three states (Colorado, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) between November 2019 and October 2021. Research associates used a previously validated tool to analyze electronic EMS and hospital records. Adverse safety events were recorded in six care categories, grouped into four levels for analysis: assessment/diagnosis/clinical decision-making, procedures, medication administration (including O2), and fluid administration, and defined across five types of ASEs: Unintended injuries or consequences, Near misses, Suboptimal actions, Errors, and Management complications (UNSEMs). Type and frequency of ASEs in each category were rated in three harm severities: Harm Unlikely, Mild/Temporary, or Permanent/Severe. Three physicians verified ASEs determined by research associates. Frequency of ASEs and harm likelihood are reported. RESULTS: Records for 508 EMS patients were reviewed, with 63 (12.4%) transported using lights and sirens. At least one clinical intervention beyond assessment/diagnosis/clinical decision-making was documented for 183 (36.1%, 95% CI: 31.8, 40.4) patients. A total of 162 ASEs were identified for 112 patients (22.1%, 95% CI: 18.5, 25.7). Suboptimal actions were the most frequent UNSEM (n = 66, 40.7%; 95% CI: 33.1, 48.3). For ASEs, (n = 162), the most frequent associations were with procedures 39.5% (95% CI: 32.0, 47.0) or assessment/diagnosis/clinical decision making, 32.1%, (95% CI: 24.9, 39.3). Among care categories, fluid administration was associated with significantly more UNSEMs (58.1%, 95% CI:53.8, 62.4). Most ASEs were determined to be 'Harm Unlikely' 62.4% (95% CI: 54.4, 70.4), with assessment/diagnosis/clinical decision making having significantly fewer ASEs with documented harm (22.4%, 95% CI: 10.7, 34.1) compared to other care categories. CONCLUSION: Over 20% of pediatric EMS encounters had an identified ASE, and most were unlikely to cause harm. Most frequent ASEs were likely to be associated with procedures and assessment/diagnosis/clinical decision-making.

Focused cardiac ultrasound with mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) detection of left ventricular dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: Detecting reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by an emergency physician (EP) is an important skill. The subjective ultrasound assessment of LVEF by EPs correlates with comprehensive echocardiogram (CE) results. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) is an ultrasound measure of vertical movement of the mitral annulus, which correlates to LVEF in the cardiology literature, but has not been studied when measured by an EP. Our objective is to determine whether EP measured MAPSE can accurately predict LVEF <50% on CE. METHODS: This is a prospective observational single center study using a convenience sample to evaluate the use of a focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) for patients with possible decompensated heart failure. The FOCUS included standard cardiac views to estimate LVEF, MAPSE, and E-point septal separation (EPSS). Abnormal MAPSE was defined as <8 mm and abnormal EPSS as >10 mm. The primary outcome assessed was the ability of an abnormal MAPSE to predict an LVEF <50% on CE. MAPSE also was compared to EP estimated LVEF and EPSS. Inter-rater reliability was determined by two investigators performing independent blinded review. RESULTS: We enrolled 61 subjects, 24 (39%) had an LVEF <50% on a CE. MAPSE <8 mm had a 42% sensitivity (95% CI 22-63), 89% specificity (95% CI 75-97), and accuracy of 71% for detecting LVEF <50%. MAPSE demonstrated lower sensitivity than EPSS (79% sensitivity [95% CI 58-93], and 76% specificity [95% CI 59-88]) and higher specificity than estimated LVEF (100% sensitivity [95% CI 86-100], 59% specificity [95% CI 42-75]). PPV and NPV for MAPSE was 71% (95% CI 47-88) and 70% (95% CI 62-77) respectively. The ROC for MAPSE <8 mm is 0.79 (95% CI 0.68-0.9). MAPSE measurement interrater reliability was 96%. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study evaluating MAPSE measurements by EPs, we found the measurement was easy to perform with excellent agreement across users with minimal training. A MAPSE value <8 mm had moderate predictive value for LVEF <50% on CE and was more specific for reduced LVEF than qualitative assessment. MAPSE had high specificity for LVEF <50%. Further studies are needed to validate these results on a larger scale.

Experiences of patients at high risk of opioid overdose accessing emergency department and behavioral health interventions: a qualitative analysis in an urban emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Departments (EDs) have become critical 'touchpoints' for the identification and early engagement of patients at risk of overdose or who have an opioid use disorder (OUD). Our objectives were to examine patients' ED experiences, identify barriers and facilitators of service uptake in ED settings, and explore patients' experiences with ED staff. METHODS: This qualitative study was part of a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the effectiveness of clinical social workers and certified peer recovery specialists in increasing treatment uptake and reducing opioid overdose rates for people with OUD. Between September 2019 and March 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted 19 participants from the trial. Interviews sought to assess participants' ED care experiences across intervention type (i.e., clinical social worker or peer recovery specialist). Participants were purposively sampled across intervention arm (social work, n = 11; peer recovery specialist, n = 7; control, n = 1). Data were analyzed thematically with a focus on participant experiences in the ED and social and structural factors shaping care experiences and service utilization. RESULTS: Participants reported varied ED experiences, including instances of discrimination and stigma due to their substance use. However, participants underscored the need for increased engagement of people with lived experience in ED settings, including the use of peer recovery specialists. Participants highlighted that ED provider interactions were critical drivers of shaping care and service utilization and needed to be improved across EDs to improve post-overdose care. CONCLUSIONS: While the ED provides an opportunity to reach patients at risk of overdose, our results demonstrate how ED-based interactions and service provision can impact ED care engagement and service utilization. Modifications to care delivery may improve experiences for patients with OUD or at high risk for overdose. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration: NCT03684681.

The Gender Landscape of Academic Pediatric Emergency Medicine: An Observational Study of Leadership Positions as Described by Fellowship Programs' Online Presence.

OBJECTIVES: Although many areas of medicine are male dominated, pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) is a female-dominated subspecialty. Despite this, executive leadership within PEM remains male dominated. The aim of this study was to describe the gender landscape of the key positions within academic PEM fellowship programs within the United States, as described by PEM fellowships' online presence. METHODS: Using the 2021-2022 Electronic Residency Application Service American Association of Medical Colleges Pediatric Fellowships ( services.aamc.org/eras/erasstats/par/ ) application service, we were able to identify published information from 84 academic PEM fellowship programs in the United States. Each program's Web site was evaluated to determine which individuals held the position of chief or chair, medical director, and fellowship director. These individuals' genders were then cross-referenced with the National Provider Inventory database. RESULTS: There were 154 executive leadership roles (division chief or medical director) in total. The executive leadership role was significantly different by gender ( z score: 2.54, P < 0.01), with greater male representation (n = 61; 62.9%) among identified executive leadership roles (n = 97). There were significantly more men for the medical director role ( z score: 2.06, P < 0.05). Female representation was greater than male in the fellowship program director role (n = 53; 67.9%) among listed roles ( z score: -3.17, P < 0.001). This gender landscape among key leadership positions was not influenced by the geographic location of the PEM fellowship program. CONCLUSIONS: Although PEM is a female-dominated specialty, executive leadership positions continue to be male dominated. To promote improved gender representation within leadership positions in PEM, PEM fellowship programs must provide consistent and easily accessible executive leadership descriptions within their online storefront.

Diversity of leadership in academic emergency medicine: Are we making progress?

BACKGROUND: Faculty who identify as women or racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are less likely to occupy senior leadership positions or be promoted. Recent attention has focused on interventions to decrease this gap; thus, we aim to evaluate changes in leadership and academic promotion for these populations over time. METHODS: Successive cross-sectional observational study of six years (2015 to 2020) of data from the Academy of Administrators/Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine- Benchmark Survey. Primary analyses focused on gender/URiM differences in leadership roles and academic rank. Secondary analysis focused on disparities during the first 10 years of practice. Statistical modeling was conducted to address the primary aim of assessing differences in gender/URiM representation in EM leadership roles/rank over time. RESULTS: 12,967 responses were included (4589 women, 8378 men). Women had less median years as faculty (7 vs 11). Women and URiM were less likely to hold a leadership role and had lower academic rank with no change over the study period. More women were consistently in the early career cohort (within 10 years or less as faculty) : 2015 =-75.0% [95% CI:± 3.8%] v 61.4% [95% CI:± 3.0%]; 2020 =-75.1% [95% CI: ± 2.9%] v 63.3%, [95% CI:: ± 2.5%]. Men were significantly more likely to have any leadership role compared to women in 2015 and 2020 (2015 = 54.3% [95% CI: ± 3.1%] v 44.8%, [95% CI: ± 4.3%]; 2020 = 43.1% [95% CI:± 2.5%] v 34.8 [95% CI:± 3.1%]). Higher academic rank (associate/professor) was significantly more frequent among early career men than women in 2015 (21.1% [95% CI:± 2.58%] v 12.9%; [95% CI:± 3.0%]) and 2020 (23.1% [95% CI:± 2.2%] v 17.4%; [95% CI:± 2.5%]). CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in women and URiM faculty leadership and academic rank persist, with no change over a six-year time span. Men early career faculty are more likely to hold leadership positions and be promoted to higher academic rank, suggesting early career inequities must be a target for future interventions.

Pharmacy on-site overdose protocols and prevention of overdose.

BACKGROUND: Opioid overdose is a preventable injury leading to high morbidity and premature mortality in communities across the United States. Overdoses take place where people use drugs, including commercial and public locations like community pharmacies, and necessitate swift detection and response to avoid harm and, even more seriously, death. The presence of emergency and safety protocols improves occupational health and safety for all in the workplace. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of experience with on-site pharmacy overdose and to explore pharmacist and site characteristics associated with having a known protocol for responding to on-site overdose emergencies.Methods: An anonymous, online survey about naloxone provision and opioid safety was delivered by email, through professional pharmacy associations and continuing education attendance lists, to 3,100 pharmacists in Massachusetts and Rhode Island between October 2017 and January 2018. Survey items gauged socio-demographics, practice site characteristics, safer opioid dispensing and naloxone provision. Summary statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted to describe characteristics associated with items pertaining to on-site overdose policy awareness.Results: Of the 357 respondents (11.5% response rate), 154 (5.0%) answered the questions of interest: 17.5% reported having at least one suspected overdose on-site at their practice location, while 42.9% reported that they were knowledgeable about and could locate at their practice location an on-site overdose protocol detailing how to respond to an overdose. Pharmacists who were knowledgeable about protocols were also more likely to offer naloxone to patients (p = 0.02) and did not practice at a chain pharmacy (p = 0.01).Conclusions: Community pharmacies that stock and distribute naloxone are key parts of community efforts to address the opioid crisis. Pharmacies and other healthcare settings should develop and implement on-site overdose response protocols and cultivate a norm of naloxone provision to patients.

Emergency Medical Services Provider Acceptance of and Attitudes About Pediatric SimBox Simulations.

OBJECTIVE: SimBox simulations allow for high-frequency open-access health care education, overcoming cost and resource barriers. Prehospital paramedics and emergency medical technician (EMT) care for children infrequently. In this study, prehospital providers evaluated pediatric SimBox simulations. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of EMS professionals participating in a series of simulations conducted in a larger project assessing improvement of the quality of pediatric care in the prehospital setting. Participants were teams of two, which comprised a paramedic/paramedic, paramedic/EMT, or 2 EMTs. The simulations used facilitator resources, debriefing prompts, video depictions of patients and vital signs, and a low-fidelity manikin. Pediatric emergency care coordinators, EMS training officers, and/or emergency physicians facilitated simulations of seizure, sepsis with respiratory failure, and child abuse, followed by debriefings. Participants completed an online survey after the simulation and rated it in 4 domains: prebriefing, scenario content, debriefing, and overall. Ratings were trifold: "strongly agree," "somewhat agree," or "do not agree." Data were analyzed by case type, participant type, location, participant reaction to simulation elements, and the debriefing. Net Promoter Scores were calculated to assess participant endorsement of SimBox. RESULTS: There were 121 participants: 103 (87%) were paramedics, and 18 (13%) were EMTs. Participant agreement of simulation benefit for clinical practice was high, for example, "I am more confident in my ability to prioritize care and interventions" (98.4% strongly or somewhat agree), and 99.2% of participants agreed the postsimulation debriefing with facilitators "provided opportunities to self-reflect on my performance during simulation." Overall, 97.5% strongly or somewhat agreed that the simulations "improved my comfort in pediatric acute care." Net Promoter Score showed 65.3% were promoters of and 24% were passive about SimBox. CONCLUSION: SimBox simulations are associated with improved self-efficacy of prehospital care providers for care of acutely ill or injured children. The majority promotes SimBox as a learning tool.

A Battery of Easily Accessible, Simple Tools for the Assessment of Concussion in Children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a non-proprietary, novel testing battery can identify recently concussed children within 8 weeks of injury. STUDY DESIGN: In total, 568 clinic outpatients aged 10-18 years were sorted into 3 groups: 316 had never been concussed, 162 had ever been concussed before 8 weeks earlier, and 90 had been recently concussed within 8 weeks. At initial and any subsequent visits, a neurologic examination and 4 procedures were performed: Stick Drop, Wall Ball, Sharpened Modified Romberg (SMR), and Animal Naming. Analysis included inter-group and intra-person performance differences using a series of t tests on the Stick Drop, Wall Ball, SMR, and Animal Naming. RESULTS: The recently concussed group performed worse (P < .01 for all) on Stick Drop, total Wall Ball bounces and drops, and SMR compared with never-concussed and ever-concussed groups. This effect for Stick Drop, SMR, and Wall Ball but not Animal Naming persisted beyond the 4 weeks commonly stated to define recovery. Of 59 recently concussed subjects who returned for ≥1 visit, there were improvements in Stick Drop average (P = .004) and maxima (P = .02) as well as SMR (P = .01) but not Animal Naming between initial and subsequent visits. CONCLUSIONS: This novel, rapid testing battery distinguished groups of children ages 10-18 years who had and had not experienced a recent concussion. A view that physical concussion symptoms resolve within a month of injury may be incomplete. Deployment of this readily available, inexpensive and non-proprietary battery should be compared with other tools and studied further in serial assessments.

Modified Delphi Method Derivation of the FAMILY (Family Assessment of Medical Interventions & Liaisons with the Young) EMS Instrument.

BACKGROUND: Though family satisfaction with prehospital care is a surrogate for quality and patient outcomes, there are no tools available to measure family satisfaction. OBJECTIVE: To develop the EMS Family Assessment of Medical Interventions & Liaisons with the Young (FAMILY) instrument. METHODS: Components of family experiences with pediatric prehospital care were identified with a modified Delphi method. The expert panel included Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, family representatives, and EMS leaders from Colorado, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. An online survey was used to assess proposed questions from each of five candidate domains from national guidelines, including Safety, Communication, Family Presence, Cultural Awareness, Children with Special Healthcare Needs and Overall Satisfaction. Round-1 items were scored on a five-point Likert scale. Inclusion in the final instrument required 70% agreement ranking items as "include" or "definitely include." In Round-2, participants assessed proposed refinements. This resulted in FAMILY Version-1, with sections for family members and EMS care providers. EMSC Family Action Network (FAN) representatives evaluated the FAMILY, leading to Version-2. Suggestions from the national FAN about content, clarity, and whether the instrument captured their experiences with pediatric EMS care led to the final FAMILY version. Bilingual speakers translated the instrument into Spanish, while assessing the content for semantic, idiomatic, experiential, and conceptual equivalence between the English and Spanish versions. RESULTS: There were 22 experts in Round-1, and 20 continued into Round-2 .The Delphi process yielded 12 questions in six domains with 14 recommended modifications. Two questions were excluded. Five domains reached 70% agreement in Round-1. Cultural Awareness reached 75% agreement after Round-2. Six FAN representatives evaluated Version-1, leading to changes for clarity, content and cultural sensitivity. Seventeen FAN representatives evaluated Version-2 leading to additional refinement. The assessment of the equivalence between the English and Spanish survey versions resulted in changes in the Spanish language content for equivalent meaning. CONCLUSION: A panel of EMS and family stakeholders successfully developed an instrument to assess family satisfaction with pediatric EMS care. Further validation is required in a large respondent population. Assessing family satisfaction with pediatric EMS encounters is an important step toward improving prehospital care.

Player age and initial helmet contact among American football players.

OBJECTIVE: Concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) related to professional football has received much attention within emergency care and sports medicine. Research suggests that some of this may be due to a greater likelihood of initial helmet contact (IHC), however this association has not been studied across all age groups. This study aims to investigate the association between player age and IHC in American football. METHODS: Retrospective review of championship games between 2016 and 2018 at 6 levels of amateur tackle football as well as the National Football League (NFL). Trained raters classified plays as IHC using pre-specified criteria. A priori power analysis established the requisite impacts needed to establish non-inferiority of the incidence rate of IHC across the levels of play. RESULTS: Thirty-seven games representing 2912 hits were rated. The overall incidence of IHC was 16% across all groups, ranging from 12.6% to 18.9%. All but 2 of the non-NFL divisions had a statistically reduced risk of IHC when compared with the NFL, with relative risk ratios ranging from 0.55-0.92. IHC initiated by defensive participants were twice as high as offensive participants (RR 2.04, p < 0.01) while 6% [95% CI 5.4-7.2] of all hits were helmet-on-helmet contact. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of IHC with a lower relative risk of IHC at most levels of play compared to the NFL. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of IHC; the high rates across all age groups suggests an important role for education and prevention.

Introduction of an Electronic Mobile Device Version of an Alcohol Impairment Scale (the Hack's Impairment Index Score) Does Not Impair Nursing Assessment of Patients in Emergency Departments.

BACKGROUND: There is no formal assessment to determine level of disability in the millions of patients with alcohol-induced impairment who present to emergency departments annually. Hack's Impairment Index (HII) is a standardized, serializable clinical tool designed to quantify ability. Nursing staff members at this center perform the HII and determine a score using paper prompts. OBJECTIVE: We developed an HII electronic application and investigated whether or not an electronic version on a mobile device would affect nursing performance. METHODS: A chart review-based quality improvement project compared the number, repetitions, and completeness of HII score documentation performed by nurses over 6.5 months. Group 1: paper-based HII scores for the 90-day period before intervention; group 2: iPad-based HII scores for the 90 days after intervention. There was a 2-week period for staff training and electronic version feedback between groups. Informal, ad hoc interviews were performed with nurses at investigation termination. RESULTS: Group 1: 476 emergency department patients with alcohol-induced impairment had HII scores ordered; 339 (71.2%; 95% CI, 67.1, 75.3%) had HII assessments with a total of 539 HII scores documented. An average (SD) 1.60 (0.01) serial assessments occurred per patient, 5 (1.1%; 95% CI, (0, 2.2%) scores were incomplete. Group 2: 569 alcohol-induced impairment emergency department patients were seen and had HII scores ordered; 420 (73.8%; 95% CI, (70.2, 77.4%) had HII assessments with a total of 639 HII scores documented. An average (SD) 1.52 (0.03) serial assessments occurred per patient, 4 (0.9%; 95% CI, (0.81, 0.99%) had incomplete HII scores. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study took place at 1 center, was a chart review, and not directly observed, we found that the mobile device-based HII application to determine a score did not interfere with nursing performance. Specifically, the repetition and completeness of nursing assessments of emergency department patients with impairment from alcohol use was not altered when comparing paper chart documentation with electronic format documentation. (Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2021; 82:XXX-XXX).

Revisiting pharmacy-based naloxone with pharmacists and naloxone consumers in 2 states: 2017 perspectives and evolving approaches.

OBJECTIVES: Pharmacies provide accessible sources of naloxone to caregivers, patients taking opioids, and individuals using drugs. While laws permit expanded pharmacy naloxone access, prior work identified barriers like concerns about stigma of addiction and time constraints that inhibit scale-up. We sought to examine similarities and differences in experiences obtaining naloxone at the pharmacy over a 1-year period in 2 states, and to explore reactions from people with opioid use disorder, patients taking opioids for chronic pain, caregivers of opioid users, and pharmacists to communication tools and patient outreach materials designed to improve naloxone uptake. DESIGN: Eight focus groups (FGs) held December 2016 to April 2017 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited from pharmacies, health clinics, and community organizations; pharmacists were recruited from professional organizations and pharmacy colleges. OUTCOME MEASURES: The FGs were led by trained qualitative researchers using a topic guide and prototypes designed for input. Five analysts applied a coding scheme to transcripts. Thematic analysis involved synthesis of coded data and connections between themes, with comparisons across groups and to first-year findings. RESULTS: A total of 56 individuals participated: patients taking opioids for chronic pain (n = 13), people with opioid use disorders (n = 15), caregivers (n = 13), and pharmacists (n = 16). Fear of future consequences and stigma in the pharmacy was a prominent theme from the previous year. Four new themes emerged: experience providing pharmacy naloxone, clinician-pharmacist-partnered approaches, naloxone coprescription, and fentanyl as motivator for pharmacy naloxone. Prototypes for prompting consumers about naloxone availability, materials facilitating naloxone conversations, and posters designed to address stigma were well received. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences dispensing naloxone are quickly evolving, and a greater diversity of patients are obtaining pharmacy naloxone. Persistent stigma-related concerns underscore the need for tools to help pharmacists offer naloxone, facilitate patient requests, and provide reassurance when getting naloxone.

Pharmacist attitudes toward pharmacy-based naloxone: A cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacist attitudes regarding recommending pharmacy-based naloxone (PBN). The influence of gender, practice setting, the number of years of practice, state, and PBN involvement were explored. Barriers to, and facilitators of, provision of PBN were also assessed. DESIGN: A 71-question survey was designed to assess experience with, and attitudes toward, PBN. We employed a cross-sectional study design and utilized the online survey site Qualtrics (Qualtrics International Inc, Provo, UT). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The survey was e-mailed to approximately 2900 licensed pharmacists from all practice settings in Massachusetts (approximately 1400) and Rhode Island (approximately 1500) and was open from April 5, 2016, until July 13, 2016. OUTCOME MEASURES: Attitudes toward opioid overdose prevention (12 questions) were used to develop the Opioid Overdose Prevention Attitude (OOPA) scale which consisted of 3 subscales: Opioid Overdose Prevention Attitude, Public Health Attitude, and Naloxone Dispensing Attitude. RESULTS: Of the approximately 2900 pharmacists who received the survey, 402 responded (13%), and 245 (137 from Massachusetts and 108 from Rhode Island) were included in the analyses. The majority (79%) identified as White or Caucasian, and 127 (51.8%) stated they had ever dispensed naloxone. Of those, 85 (67%) had done so in the past 30 days. We examined differences in the OOPA subscales by pharmacists' characteristics and pharmacy practice settings. Working in a pharmacy that had a standing order or collaborative practice agreement allowing pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a physician's prescription, or in a pharmacy that stocked naloxone resulted in more positive attitudes toward opioid overdose prevention and public health prevention. CONCLUSION: Respondents who practiced in a pharmacy with a standing order or collaborative practice agreement were more likely to have dispensed naloxone. Both stocking naloxone and ever having dispensed naloxone were associated with higher OOPA scores. More research is needed to better understand how pharmacist attitudes influence the distribution of naloxone.

Dedicated MRI in the emergency department to expedite diagnostic management of hip fracture.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect on time to diagnosis of making MRI imaging for hip fractures available directly in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients with MRI imaging of the hip for suspected occult fracture, comparing time to diagnosis and time to disposition of populations imaged in the year preceding and the year following installation of an MRI scanner in the ED. RESULTS: Time to diagnosis of hip fractures was 709 min before installation of a dedicated ED MRI scanner and 280 min after, a 60% reduction. Including the MRI in the diagnostic workup did not increase ED throughput time, and we were able to save 48% of the patients who had an ED-based MRI from an admission to the hospital. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an MRI scanner for dedicated emergency department use enables faster hip fracture diagnosis and surgical consultation, or definitive disposition without increasing ED throughput time.

Emergency Department Patients are Receptive to Prayer-Based Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Use.

Previous studies show that elements of spirituality, including prayer and religious services, may contribute to reductions in harmful alcohol use. The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability of prayer as a component of emergency department (ED) interventions for risky alcohol use. A 12-question multiple-choice questionnaire was developed, piloted, and refined by the study team. The questionnaire included questions about current beliefs and attitudes toward prayer and assessed interest in various means of delivering prayer or prayer support for reducing alcohol use. The questionnaire was administered to a consecutive sample of 111 patients recruited from the 12-month follow-up of a parent RCT study on reducing alcohol use among injured ED patients (ReDIAL). To qualify for the parent study, participants needed an ASSIST v3.0 alcohol score ≥ 11. 90 participants (81%) consented to answer questions about prayer. The participating sample was 38% female and 29% nonwhite; mean age was 36 years. Of these participants, 64% reported that they currently pray; of those, 88% reported praying daily or weekly; 79% agreed that prayer helps with coping in difficult times; 68% agreed that prayer could assist in achieving difficult goals; and 48% agreed that prayer helps reduce alcohol use. Interest in various means of utilizing prayer to reduce alcohol use was assessed in all participants (regardless of whether they currently prayed or not): 45% were interested in having others pray for them to reduce alcohol use; 40% were interested in receiving text reminders to pray; 42% were interested in receiving text messages with specific prayers to use; and 47% were interested in receiving text messages that someone was praying for them. 33.3% of the entire sample stated that they would attend services if provided information on spiritual or religious groups in the community. The incorporation of prayer in alcohol interventions was considered acceptable by a proportion of our sample of risky alcohol users, even those who do not currently use prayer as a resource in their lives. Given the promising data on ED patients' perceptions of the significance and acceptability of spiritual practices in reducing alcohol use, prayer may emerge as a useful adjunctive tool in future ED interventions for alcohol use disorders.