5 Things You Need to Know About Telemedicine in Emergency Medicine

Patients today are more tech-savvy than ever. As a society we expect information on-the-spot. We are able to access any and all information with a simple swipe and search of our smartphones and this desire extends past finding the directions to our nearest emergency care center.

According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), consumers want telemedicine. The greatest impact of telemedicine is on the patient, their family and their community. Using telemedicine technologies reduces travel time and related stresses for the patient. Such services offer patients the access to providers that might not be available otherwise, as well as medical services without the need to travel long distances.

While it's popularity is rapidly increasing, telemedicine is not a new idea. Starting out over 40 years ago with demonstrations of hospitals extending care to patients in remote areas, the use of telemedicine has spread rapidly and is now becoming integrated into the ongoing operations of hospitals, specialty departments, home health agencies, private physician offices as well as consumer’s homes and workplaces.

9 Ways to Ease Transition & Increase Productivity After a Night Shift

As a healthcare provider, you have probably experienced the toll that the night shift can have on your quality of life.

Working the night shift forces the body to operate counter to its circadian rhythm, the internal clock that tells us when we should be sleeping and when we should be awake. Few people adapt easily or completely to such schedules, and it's not uncommon for such people to suffer from shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) or experience burnout in their career.

People who work the night shift can experience a variety of sleep-related issues, including insomnia, excessive sleepiness, irritability, and lack of concentration. Long-term effects also include depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mood disorders.

As a healthcare provider working in the field of emergency medicine, your schedule doesn't lock you in with what's natural for your body. Working nights, whether exclusively or sporaticly, is a part of the job and there will be times you are faced with working them.

How can you ease the transition and increase your productivity after working a night shift? Here are 9 hacks for optimizing that valuable time as the sun rises and you head to bed.

Democratic Baltimore Area Emergency Medicine Group Offers Partnership 

Towson, MD - Osler Drive Emergency Physician Associates (ODEPA) is the longest standing Emergency Medicine group in the country. The group began in 1967 and continues today with a group of qualified emergency practitioners ready to serve the needs of patients who visit the St. Joseph Medical Center Emergency Department.

National SIM Competitions: SIMWars ACEP 15

It's been almost a week since the 2015 ACEP Scientific Assembly wrapped up in Boston, MA.  Along with all the educational opportunities, networking event, and fun to be had in the exhibit hall, ACEP15 offered a special simulation event especially for EM residents.

Dr. Julie Sayegh, a member of the SIMWars committee, recently published her recap of the event. We've posted it in it's entirity below, however you can follow her blog at http://jsayeghsimedinem.blogspot.com/ to stay up-to-date on everything she is doing throughout the year.

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This past week was the national American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) national conference.  It was held in Boston, MA, and each year this conference features a simulation competition for residents called SIMWars.  Residency programs from across the United States submit an application to compete, and 6 programs are chosen.  They are put up against each other for competition, and the best team remains standing at the end.

Participating in ACEP SIMWars was definitely a fun and educational experience, not just for our participants and the audience, but for the simulation guru, such as myself, as well.   Many of the committee members were fellows and simulation directors from programs all over the US, and all of us eager to teach and learn.  This conference would not have been possible to put on without the interdisciplinary teamwork that occurred among us.  From the basics of case creation, to the recruitment of judges, such as the infamous Scott Weingart. 

David Soria MD Explains the True Partners Difference

David Soria, MD, is a believer that everyone deserves the care of a dedicated physician during a medical emergency. As both an experienced emergency physician and successful medical service entrepreneur, Soria has built, and continues to operate, TruePartners Emergency Physicians, LLC, an industry leading provider of high-quality emergency physician personnel and services.

TruePartners Emergency Physicians has developed an effective emergency physician model that delivers efficiency and results to every client. By recruiting residency-trained and board-certified Emergency Physicians and implementing proven processes that boost efficiency and patient volume, Soria is able to create better, more patient-friendly emergency departments that more effectively provide treatments and services than anyone else.