Slightly off-topic, but posting here anyway, because it has everything to do with organizational wiring, siloes, functional specialties — and it may help you or a loved one. > Last week, my wife, @mvk842 , spent 18 hours in a hospital emergency department, which could have been far longer and more dangerous. > I’m sharing this post in the hope that if you or a loved one ever finds themselves in a similar situation, these tips might help you leave sooner (and safer) — I’m writing this for a general audience, who may not have much knowledge of how hospital systems work. But hopefully you’ll learn enough to help navigate the system. > The most important thing I’ve learned about hospitals over the last decade: if your loved one needs to be admitted to the hospital, chances are they will get incredible care... as long as that care can be immediately administered in the ED. > However, if they need to move outside the ED, you must learn as much as you can so you can help expedite the process and advocate for them to get to where they need to go — usually an inpatient floor — as quickly as possible. > The stakes are probably higher than you think. > Some scary statistics: > For every hour a patient “boards” in the ED (meaning they’ve been admitted to the hospital but are stuck waiting in an emergency department bed because no inpatient room is available, in our case, on the Surgical floor), their overall hospital stay increases by two hours on average. > Worse, patients boarding in the ED face increased risks for delays in getting diagnostic imaging (e.g., CT and ultrasound scans), getting medication and interviews (from Pharmacy), etc. > The Joint Commission—the organization that accredits U.S. hospitals—has reported that up to 50% of “sentinel events” in hospitals are related to ED boarding. (A sentinel event is medical terminology for a serious, often preventable patient safety incident, like unexpected death, serious injury, or wrong-site surgery.) > Here’s the thing: most people get superb care in the ED while waiting for a bed. ED staff are excellent at what they do. However, if you require inpatient care, you must be on an inpatient floor where the staffing, equipment, and systems are designed to provide ongoing inpatient care—not emergency stabilization. > I write about our experiences, and how as a patient advocate, you can help escape the ED, sooner and safer. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/escaping-18-hour-stay-hospital-emergency-department-patient-gene-kim-kxmnc/

Slightly more on-topic! Thank you everyone for being amazing two weeks ago — I hope you’re like me, and reveling in the amazing learnings and interactions! I have two requests? 1. For those of you who were at ETLS two weeks ago, it would be an amazing favor if you filled in our Attendee Survey! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJWP0-EU90F3BM2LguvJa-tavxD0wTXQHpDqyS7VwA9C61FQ/viewform 2. And a request that might seem a bit strange — if you took a picture at the book signing with @steve.yegge and me, would you mind posting it here? We’re having trouble finding a picture where we’re both smiling! 😂 Catch y’all soon! <!here> (Sorry for my rare use of “here” — this is how desperate Steve and I are for better photos!)