Healthcare Inspection: Alleged Quality of Care Issues Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Little Rock, Arkansas

摘要

The purpose of this review was to determine the validity of allegations regarding the quality of care provided to a patient in the emergency department (ED) at the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System, Little Rock, AR. We did not substantiate that the patient was inadequately diagnosed or treated for severe abdominal pain. We found that clinicians appropriately treated the patient's pain and ordered the correct treatments based on laboratory and imaging tests. We did not substantiate that the patient was placed in a locked room where no one checked on him for over 6 hours. After discharge the patient was allowed to sleep in an unoccupied bed adjacent to the ED because he had no transportation until the next morning. Staff checked on him several times during the night. We could not substantiate or refute that someone told the patient's wife the patient was discharged but they did not know where he was located. To reinforce the importance of effective communication with family members, the system Director issued a memorandum while we were onsite.