Our goal was to develop non-pharmacologic strategies for addressing sensory challenges that patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face in emergency departments (EDs). Search of five databases for articles written in English and published since 1980 returned 816 citations, of which 28 papers were selected for review. All studies were…

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is becoming more prevalent with an increasing need to identify and eliminate barriers to care. Healthcare Providers (HCP) have shown limited knowledge and confidence when managing patients with ASD. The inability to provide specialized care and recognize symptoms of pain or discomfort could result in…

Substantial efforts have been dedicated to understanding, assessing, and managing suicide risk in youth broadly. However, little attention has been focused specifically on autistic youth and youth with intellectual disability. Because emergency departments are an essential point of suicide-related care, we used the National Emergency Department…

Background: In the United Kingdom, policy change has led to specialist intellectual disability inpatient bed reduction. Little evidence exists assessing the results for patients admitted to such units. This study evaluates the outcomes of a specialist intellectual disability inpatient unit. Method: Gender/age/ethnicity/intellectual disability…

Background: Childhood obesity affects around 7-8% of children in Ireland and is associated with increased risks of health complications. Data on healthcare resource use and the related costs for children with obesity are important for research, future service-planning, efforts to reduce the burden on families, and care pathways. However, there is…

This study tested a 'wise' intervention (quick prompt of a specific psychological mec) in acute care hospital units to improve nurses' hand hygiene compliance (HHC). A multiple baseline design in two medical-surgical teaching hospitals in the United States. Hand hygiene data was collected using an electronic compliance monitoring system with…

This study examined emergency department (ED) utilization by adolescents and young adults, 12-30 years of age (AYA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project/National Emergency Department Sample (HCUP/NEDS). We investigated the principal reason for an ED visit, presence of an ambulatory care…

Using a paperless patient registration project, this teaching case demonstrates an application of the six-step approach in developing a business case for an IT investment. More specifically, this case familiarizes students with the process of developing a solid business case by defining business drivers and investment objectives, identifying and…

Recognizing higher rates of co-occurring health conditions in autistic adults and the frequent use of hospital-based health care services, this study compared rates of repeat emergency visits, repeat hospitalizations, and delayed discharges in autistic adults to other adults with and without developmental disabilities matched for age and sex,…

Assessing volume status in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) remains a difficult task. Newer technology, such as CardioMEMS, allows providers to download pulmonary artery pressure measurements from an implanted sensor. In a large rural emergency department (ED), lack of staff education on CardioMEMS made the device useless when a…

Background: General practitioners (GP) report multiple challenges when treating individuals with intellectual disabilities which may influence referral rates. The study aimed to establish factors that influence GP's decision-making when referring a child with intellectual disabilities to the emergency department. Method: Discrete choice…

Background: Few formal instruments exist to assess the communicative competence of patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs). This can limit interventions by health professionals. Aims: To map the categories and instruments for assessing the communicative competence of adult patients with minimal response in ICUs. Methods &…

Several recent works have highlighted hospital discharge as a good opportunity to deliver patient education (PE). Despite its constraints (overcrowding and unpredictable workload, in particular), the emergency department (ED) should be viewed as an opportune place for improving patient satisfaction and adherence to recommendations, and thus for…

The present study aimed to explore the role of feedback in the medical workplace in the domain of radiology. Feedback is considered essential for learning, performance, and professional development, as it helps to build knowledge and skills, to correct errors, and to provide safe and autonomous patient care. Fifteen specialists were interviewed…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been put forth as a technological innovation which can change the way in which healthcare will be delivered in the near future. AI developers plan to deploy tools that will aid diagnosis, improve therapy, minimize errors, increase safety, and optimize systems and bring down costs. In addition, a paradigmatic shift…