
Practical Alternative to Hospitalization
Emergency DepartmentHealth2 moreThe investigators test the PATH program to evaluate whether the program allows patients to spend more days at home in comparison to patients who receive regular care. The program will involve patients from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center with a set of diagnoses and will provide patients with enhanced services upon discharge from the emergency department.

Cognition at Altitude in HEMS - Part II
Hypobaric HypoxiaHypobaric Normoxia3 moreThe aim of the current study is to evaluate under blinded conditions, both in a simulated environment and during helicopter flight, the effect of a rapid (within 20 minutes) exposure to altitude (4000 m asl) on physiological parameters and selected cognitive domains, in providers operating in helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) exposed to hypobaric hypoxia or to hypobaric normoxia (H0: cognitive effects under hypobaric hypoxia = cognitive effects under hypobaric normoxia). Simulated environment will allow to control different factors. The parallelism between a study branch conducted in a simulated environment and another one conducted under a real-life condition will allow to evaluate the additive effects on additional stressor factors (processive and systemic ones). Simulation branch: each participant will take part in three research sessions: a familiarization session and two experimental sessions in simulation facility called terraXcube (test 1 and 2). On test 1 and test 2 each group will be exposed twice to the simulated altitude of 4000 m asl (under hypobaric hypoxia or hypobaric normoxia conditions) according to the randomization protocol. Participants will perform the neurocognitive tests three times on each of the two tests: before the ascent (TC0), after 5 min from the end of the ascent (TC1) and after around 30 min (TC2), to investigate European Union Aviation Safe Agency (EASA) proposed recommendations. After completing each neurocognitive test session, participants will be asked to rate their performance using a visual analogue scales (VAS). All participants will wear the vital parameters monitoring system during the entire duration of the tests inside the chamber, as well as the cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) sensor. Samples will be collected by saliva, urine and/or capillary blood. The same schedule is repeated in each test session. In-field branch: each participant will take part in three research sessions: a familiarization session and two experimental sessions during helicopter flights (test 1 and 2). On test 1 and test 2 each group will be exposed twice to the altitude of 4000 m (under hypobaric hypoxia or hypobaric normoxia conditions) according to the randomization protocol. Participants will perform the neurocognitive test two times on each test: before the ascent (TC0), after around 5 min from the end of the ascent (TC1). After completing each neurocognitive tests, participants will be asked to rate their performance using a visual analogue scales (VAS). All participants will wear the vital parameters monitoring system during the entire duration of the tests. Samples will be collected. The same schedule is planned in each test session.

Impact of Modern Art Therapy on Patients' Anxiety and Pain During the Waiting Time in an Emergency...
Anxiety AcutePain1 moreThe primary objective of this study is to investigate whether, during a waiting period in an emergency department, the patient's participation in a modern art therapy session decreases the patient's level of anxiety and pain. As a secondary objective, this study aims to explore whether participation in a modern art therapy session is perceived positively by the patient. This objective will be assessed by both patient self-report and art therapist heteroreport. In this work, the investigators will therefore seek to demonstrate the potential positive impact of modern art therapy conducted during times of waiting for examination or results.

PIMPmyHospital: a Mobile App to Improve Emergency Care Efficiency and Communication
Pediatric Emergency MedicineCommunicationThis pilot study is a prospective, single-center, randomized, controlled trial in a tertiary pediatric emergency department with two parallel groups of voluntary post-graduate year [PGY] 1 to 5 pediatric residents and registered pediatric emergency nurses. The impact of an mHealth support tool will be compared to conventional methods on the retrieval of laboratory data from the patient's electronic record, and on team collaboration in a semi-simulated emergency department environment. Ten participants are randomized (1:1). The primary endpoint is the time from the availability of new laboratory results for a given patient to their consideration by participants, measured in minutes using a stopwatch.

Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Chest Pain Choice Trial
Chest PainAcute Coronary SyndromeOur long-term goal is to promote evidence-based patient-centered evaluation in the acute setting to more closely tailor testing to disease risk. To compare the use of risk stratification tools with usual clinical approaches to treatment selection or administration, we propose the following: Test if Chest Pain Choice safely improves validated patient-centered outcome measures in a pragmatic parallel patient randomized trial. Hypothesis: The intervention will significantly increase patient knowledge, engagement, and satisfaction with no increase in adverse events. Test if the decision aid has an effect on healthcare utilization within 30 days after enrollment. Hypothesis: The intervention will significantly reduce the rate of hospital admission, rate of cardiac testing, and total healthcare utilization.

An Intervention for Elderly in Emergency Services
StrokeIschemic Attack3 more-Can a scheme based on inter geriatricians visiting nurse consultants and reduce negative impacts on the health of elderly over 70 years ?

Effect of Modality on Discharge Instruction in Patients Receiving Outpatient Antibiotic Prescriptions...
Modality of Discharge InstructionsOutpatient antibiotics are frequently prescribed from the emergency department, and limited health literacy may impact compliance with recommended treatments. The investigators are looking to determine if patient preference for multimodality discharge instructions for outpatient antibiotic therapy varies by health literacy level, and if modality effected patient-reported antibiotic compliance and 72-hour antibiotic pick-up.

Brain Trauma Outcomes in Nova Scotia Study
Brain Injuries,TraumaticOutcome Assessment (Health Care)3 moreThe goals of this study are to identify outcome indicators of optimal care for brain injury patients, including pre-hospital care, prompt delivery to neurosurgical care and access to early rehabilitation services. Nova Scotia's centralized Neurosurgical services and integrated provincial Emergency Health Services provide a rich opportunity to construct a cohesive, integrated data management system. This system will allow us to answer important research questions related to the outcomes, care and prevention of brain trauma. Retrospective data collection The retrospective arm of the BTO study has created full data sets and care pathways from multiple sources covering the continuum of brain trauma care. Investigators continue to analyze this large amount of data and prepare it for publication. Prospective data Collection Patients with a major head injury (initial GCS 3-12), have been considered for enrollment in the BTO study.The prospective arm of the BTO study has 52 patients enrolled. Screening and Enrollment was complete on June 30, 2007. These patients are participating in long term follow up at 6, 12 and 24 months post injury for assessment of qualitative and quantitative outcomes. Completion of patient follow up will be in June 2009.

Cost Effectiveness of Language Services in Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs)
Language DiscordanceNumerous studies suggest that the use of in-person, professionally trained medical interpreters can reduce health care costs associated with diagnosing and treating patients with limited English proficiency. However, few studies have specifically addressed the question of the cost-effectiveness of language services in health care settings. This study used a randomized controlled study design to compare the cost-effectiveness of using professional interpreters with Spanish-speaking patients seen in hospital emergency departments (EDs) versus using the usual language services available to these patients. The main goal of the study was to estimate the effect that professional interpreters have on resource utilization and patient/provider satisfaction in the ED compared to the language services usually offered in these settings. Our hypothesis was that use of trained interpreters would lead to more cost-effective provision of ED services.

Evaluation of Essential Surgical Skills-Emergency Maternal and Child Health Training
SepsisAsthma3 moreThe aim of the proposed study is to determine if specific training in management of general, obstetric, neonatal and pediatric emergencies results in a change in practice of doctors working in emergency departments of public sector hospitals in three districts of Pakistan. The overall goal of the proposed study is to test the ability of a standard course (5-days training) to promote the provision of effective and evidence based practices in public sector hospital settings.