Our big system legal and regulatory people say it’s OK.
Probably like EMTALA it can be interpreted various ways.
However patients who are physically moved to the ED are being moved to “icu overflow” space, and remain inpatients on the inpatient service without any change in their attending. If the ED MD gets involved it is as a consultant (our bylaws all that in emergencies).
I’m not saying I love everything about this, but our regulatory people don’t find issue.
It reminds me of the myth that a patient cannot be transferred from the floor of a small hospital to the ED of a large hospital because it “violates Emtala”. Which is a lie; certainly their can be issues and Emtala may not mandate the big hospital take said inpatient… but if big hospital thinks the ED is the appropriate landing spot it IS allowed.
Probably like EMTALA it can be interpreted various ways.
However patients who are physically moved to the ED are being moved to “icu overflow” space, and remain inpatients on the inpatient service without any change in their attending. If the ED MD gets involved it is as a consultant (our bylaws all that in emergencies).
I’m not saying I love everything about this, but our regulatory people don’t find issue.
It reminds me of the myth that a patient cannot be transferred from the floor of a small hospital to the ED of a large hospital because it “violates Emtala”. Which is a lie; certainly their can be issues and Emtala may not mandate the big hospital take said inpatient… but if big hospital thinks the ED is the appropriate landing spot it IS allowed.
