In The News Archive

Uneven distribution of emergency medicine residency programs may impact workforce challenges

Christopher Bennett, MD, MA was featured by ACEP about his manuscript published in Annals of Emergency Medicine describing the location of emergency medicine (EM) resident physicians and residency programs. The number of EM residency programs increased between 2013 and 2020, but most new programs opened in states that already had EM residency programs. Rural states lack both EM residents and residency programs. PMID: 35570180

Free findERnow app update is now live!

EMNet has just launched the latest version of its unique and comprehensive emergency department (ED) locator app, findERnow!

Using the smartphone’s GPS, findERnow can quickly locate the user’s current location and the distance, directions, and current driving time to the closest ED anywhere within the United States. The app also provides information about basic ED characteristics.

This latest update introduces the following new features:

• View an ED’s stroke center certification status.
• Toggle on an “EMS View” of the app to classify adult trauma centers or stroke centers as Advanced or Basic.
• Information on an ED’s pediatric-specific characteristics is now available to all users for FREE, with no additional subscription required.

Use of acid suppressant medications in infancy raises childhood risk for wheeze, asthma

Lacey Robinson, MD, MPH was featured in Healio about her manuscript published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. Dr. Robinson and colleagues found that, in a cohort of 921 children, exposure to acid suppressant medications during infancy increased the risk of recurrent wheeze and asthma in early childhood. PMID: 35872214

Where a child lives is linked to life expectancy

Kristen Shanahan, MD, MPH was featured in U.S. News & World Report about her manuscript published in JAMA Network Open. Dr. Shanahan and colleagues found that life expectancy in neighborhoods with very few educational, health, environmental, social, and economic opportunities for children was lower than life expectancy in “very high opportunity” neighborhoods. PMID: 36239940

EMNet is forging ahead: an interview with Dr. Carlos Camargo

Dr. Carlos Camargo was featured in the SAEM Pulse about both the history of EMNet and EMNet’s future directions. To read the full interview, click here.

January 2022 – 2021 National ED Inventory-USA survey is launched!

The National ED Inventories (NEDI) are ongoing surveys that collect and maintain data on all EDs in a specific country/state/city, including facility location and annual visit volume.

On 1/3/2022, we launched our seventh annual NEDI-USA survey to better understand the nature of U.S. emergency departments (EDs). Please help us out by completing the 2021 NEDI-USA survey at https://redcap.link/findERnow2021.

The results from this national survey will be used to perform health services research on U.S. emergency care and to enhance our existing app, findERnow (available for free on both iPhone and Android smartphones). Please find more information about this study here. If you have any questions, please contact Krislyn Boggs at emnet@partners.org.

January 2022 – Most Americans are within an hour of acute stroke care

Kori Zachrison, MD, MSc was featured in Medical Xpress, HealthDay, and MedPage Today about her manuscript published in JAMA Network Open describing access to acute stroke care in the U.S. Dr. Zachrison and colleagues found that 96% of Americans had access within 60 minutes to an ED in a stroke center or with telestroke.

June 2021 – Limited access to pediatric emergency physicians in rural areas
Christopher Bennett, MD, MA was featured in Contemporary Pediatrics about his manuscript published in JAMA Network Open describing the U.S. pediatric emergency physician (EP) workforce in 2020. Dr. Bennett and colleagues found that almost all (99%) pediatric EPs work in urban areas. Many rural areas, including 3 states and 87% of counties have no pediatric EPs. PMID: 34003272

July 2021 – A molecular subtype of RSV bronchiolitis is linked to higher asthma risk

Yoshihiko Raita, MD was featured in a NIAID Now story about his manuscript published in Nature Communications examining which infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis are at highest risk for developing asthma. Dr. Raita and colleagues identified four distinct molecular subtypes of RSV bronchiolitis and linked a certain subtype to higher asthma risk. The investigators integrated clinical, virus, and molecular data with machine learning algorithms to uncover these distinct subtypes, and this is the first time this type of integrated analysis has been done for RSV bronchiolitis. PMID: 34127671

December 2021 – 2019 National ED Inventory-USA summary data now available online!

The National ED Inventories (NEDI) are ongoing surveys that collect and maintain data on all EDs in a specific country/state/city, including facility location and annual visit volume.

National and state-specific ED data from the 2019 NEDI-USA is now available to view or download online! This contains data on all 5,591 US EDs for the year 2019, including hospital-based EDs, satellite freestanding EDs (FSEDs), and autonomous FSEDs.

For more information and to access the 2019 data, click here.

Rain Freeman, MPH was featured in Medscape and Healio about her manuscript published in Psychiatric Services on receipt of telepsychiatry among U.S. EDs. Ms. Freeman and colleagues found that only 20% of U.S. EDs received telepsychiatry services in 2016. EDs with telepsychiatry were more likely to be rural, have higher total annual visit volumes, and have Critical Access Hospital designation than EDs without. Most EDs with telepychiatry did not have access to other emergency psychiatric services. PMID: 32019430

Christopher Bennett, MD, MA, was featured in HealthLeaders about his manuscript published in Annals of Emergency Medicine describing the U.S. emergency physician workforce in 2020. Dr. Bennett and colleagues found that many parts of rural America are enduring shortages of emergency physicians. The problem is expected to worsen as a generation of rural doctors retires with no one to replace them. PMID: 32747085

Gregory Peters, MD and Alexander Ordoobadi, MD were featured in HealthDay about their manuscript published in JAMA Network Open. Drs. Peters, Ordoobadi, and colleagues found that, after the Affordable Care Act went into effect, there were fewer ambulance trips for patients with asthma emergencies in New York City. This research suggests that giving access to affordable health insurance to people with asthma can reduce the frequency and severity of asthma exacerbations. PMID: 33175178

November 2019 – Increase in ED visits for anaphylaxis among infants and toddlers
Dr. Lacey Robinson was featured in a MedPage Today story on hospital emergency department visits for anaphylaxis among infants and toddlers. Dr. Robinson and colleagues found that the proportion of ED visits for anaphylaxis between 2006-2015 increased for children under age 3, while hospitalizations for anaphylaxis among babies and toddlers decreased. Dr. Robinson recently reported these findings at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. To read the full story, click here.

October 2019 – 2019 ACEP Research Presentations
EMNet research was presented at the ACEP Research Forum (October 27-October 29). For the full schedule, click here.

May 2019 – Children with chronic illness just as happy as peers
An article co-authored by Dr. Carlos Camargo titled “General Health and Life Satisfaction in Children With Chronic Illness” was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in May 2019. AAP News discussed the study’s findings online here. The authors found that the life satisfaction of children with chronic illness was comparable to their peers without illness. The published article can be found here.

May 2019 – ED-SAFE wins Innovation in Acute Care Suicide Prevention Award
The American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention selected the ED-SAFE study as the overall winner of its Innovation in Acute Care Suicide Prevention Award. The award was presented at the ACEP Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC.

March 2019 – Few Patients Discharged From ED With Nonspecific Headache Are Readmitted With Serious Condition
Neurology Advisor discussed the Annals of Emergency Medicine publication “Missed Serious Neurologic Conditions in Emergency Department Patients Discharged With Nonspecific Diagnoses of Headache or Back Pain” on 3/13. Additionally, the American College of Emergency Physicians featured this topic in their Emergency Medicine Today newsletter on 3/14.

March 2019 – A Coordinated Effort to Improve Pediatric Emergency Care
Krislyn Boggs, MPH was featured in a Mass General Research Institute blog post about EMNet’s work to improve pediatric emergency care by spearheading an initiative to appoint pediatric emergency care coordinators in emergency departments across New England and other states. To read the full blog post, click here.

May 2017 – EDs can reduce suicide attempts
The intervention results of the ED-SAFE study were featured in U.S. News & World Report. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, showed that a relatively simple intervention was able to reduce suicide attempts. PMID: 28456130

March 2017 – EMNet upgrades findERnow smartphone app that allows users to find the closest hospital emergency room
Massachusetts General Hospital announced the re-release of the findERnow smartphone app for iPhone and Android devices. The enhanced pediatric version of findERnow, available with a $0.99 subscription, helps users easily distinguish which ERs are more likely to be prepared to provide emergency care for children. This new version of findERnow was funded by a grant from R Baby, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the field of pediatric emergency care. Read the press release here.

February 2017 – Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections
Dr. Carlos Camargo was featured in NPR and Boston Magazine coverage of a manuscript he co-authored on the overall protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on risk of acute respiratory tract infection. The manuscript was published in BMJ. PMID: 28202713

October 2016 – Carlos Camargo receives ACEP award for outstanding contribution in research
Dr. Carlos Camargo is the 2016 recipient of the American College of Emergency Physician (ACEP) award for outstanding contribution in research. The award is presented to an ACEP member who has made a significant contribution to research in emergency medicine. See the announcement here.

September 2016 – Massachusetts General Hospital-led team to investigate impact of airway microbiome on childhood asthma risk
A multi-institutional research team led by Dr. Carlos Camargo is among the recipients of new National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants through the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) initiative. The ECHO program will investigate how exposure to a range of environmental factors in early development – from conception through early childhood – influences the health of children and adolescents. The team will investigate whether the microbial population of the nasal passages of young infants affects their risk of developing asthma. To read the MGH press release, please click here.

September 2016 – Decline in consultant availability in Massachusetts emergency departments: 2005 to 2014
Dr. Jason Sanders’ paper on the decline in availability of consultants in Massachusetts EDs between 2005 and 2014 was featured in a HealthLeaders Media News story. Dr. Sanders’ manuscript was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine. PMID: 27569109

April 2016 – Suicide risk can be intercepted in the emergency department, study finds
Dr. Ed Boudreaux was featured in a MedicalXpress story on universal suicide screening in EDs. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that suicide risk screening nearly doubled the number of patients who were identified as at risk for suicide. PMID: 26654691

March 2016 – ER docs only ask half of suicidal patients about guns, study shows
Dr. Emmy Betz was featured in a HealthDay story on home firearm access and ED provider assessments of access to lethal means among suicidal ED patients, showing that many of these patients do not have a docummented assessment of home firearm access. This study was published in Depression and Anxiety. PMID: 26989850

January 2016 – Kids with rhinovirus-positive bronchiolitis may be more likely to use asthma controller medication compared with patients with RSV
Dr. Eija Bergroth was featured in Healio, showing that pediatric patients with rhinovirus-positive bronchiolitis were more likely to use asthma controller medication 12 months after hospitalization compared with patients with RSV. This study was published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. PMID: 26658529

December 2015 – ACEP 2015 Award Recipients
Dr. Tadahiro Goto received the ACEP Excellence in Research Award for his paper titled “Factors associated with first-pass success in pediatric intubation in the emergency department: an analysis of multicenter pros.” He will receive his award at the 2016 ACEP Research Meeting in Las Vegas.

July 2015 – B. pertussis uncommon in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis
Dr. Pedro Piedra was featured in Healio, showing that Bordetella pertussis was uncommon among infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis during the winter season, as well as during interepidemic periods of pertussis. This study was published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. PMID: 25970109

May 2015 – EMNet findER, iPhone application
EMNet findER was featured in the Washington Post as an app that can help save lives by finding help fast. The article was summarized in The Week.

May 2015 – Women hospitalized for asthma more often than men
The MARC-36 (Adult ED Patients with Acute Asthma and Survey of Local Asthma Centers) study was recently featured in HealthDay and News Medical, showing that women are hospitalized for asthma more frequently than men.  This study was published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. PMID: 25956241

August 2014 – Frequent utilization of the emergency department for acute heart failure syndrome: A population-based study
Dr. Kohei Hasegawa was featured in HealthDay, showing that many acute heart failure patients make repeated ED visits, suggesting a lack of appropriate outpatient care. This study also found that patients with frequent ED visits for this condition account for the majority of ED visits and hospitalizations contributing to significant healthcare costs. This study was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. PMID: 25139183

July 2013 – EMNet findER, iPhone and Android application
EMNet findER was featured in MedCity News as one of the top five best social media practices among hospitals and health-related organizations.

July 2013 – Population aging and emergency departments: visits will not increase, lengths-of-stay and hospitalizations will
Dr. Daniel Pallin was featured in US News and World Report, showing that aging population will not increase the number of ED visits, however visits will become longer and hospitalizations more frequent. This study was published in Health Affairs. PMID: 23836748

April 2013 – Lethal means restriction for suicide prevention: beliefs and behaviors of emergency department providers
Dr. Marian Betz was featured in Health Magazine and in a television interview for her work on the ED-SAFE Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice survey to ED providers, showing that many do not routinely ask suicidal patients about their access to firearms. This study was published in Depression and Anxiety. PMID: 23495002

January 2013 – Advanced airway management does not improve outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Dr. Kohei Hasegawa was featured in LA Times and MedPage Today for his study, showing that advanced airway management may not benefit patients experiencing cardiac arrest. This study was pubished in The Journal of the American Medical Association. PMID: 20836772

November 2012 – Online national ED locator, EDmaps.org
EMNet launched www.EDmaps.org (or www.ERmaps.org), an on-line Google Maps version of the latest NEDI-USA database. To read the MGH press release, please click here.

August 2012 – Prospective multicenter study of children with bronchiolitis requiring mechanical ventilation
Dr. Jonathan Mansbach was featured in MedScape for his study, showing that maternal smoking during pregnancy is one of several independent risk factors for infants developing severe bronchiolitis that requires mechanical ventilationl. This study was published in Pediatrics. PMID: 22869823

April 2012 – Prospective muticenter study of viral etiology and hospital length of stay in children with severe bronchiolitis
Dr. Jonathan Mansbach was featured in an author interview podcast for MARC-30, showing that coinfection with multiple respiratory viruses is more common in bronchiolitis than anticipated. These data challenge the effectiveness of current RSV-based cohorting practices, the sporadic testing for HRV in bronchiolitis research, and current thinking that the infectiousetiology of severe bronchiolitis does not affect short-term outcomes. This study was published in Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. PMID: 22473882

August 2011 – Increasing adoption of computerized provider order entry, and persistent regional disparities, in US emergency departments
Dr. Daniel Pallin was featured in Reuters and HealthLeaders Media for his study, showing that rural emergency departments lag in switching to computerized provider order entry. This study was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine. PMID: 21802779

January 2011 – Positive association between altitude and suicide in 2,584 US counties
Dr. Barry Brenner was featured in UPI for his study, showing that people at higher altitudes have higher rates of suicide. This study was published in High Altitude Medicine & Biology. PMID: 21214344

December 2010 – Frequency of US emergency department visits for food-related acute allergic reactions
Dr. Sunday Clark was featured in Reuters for her study, showing that food allergies cause more emergency department visits than previously thought. This study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. PMID: 21167574

September 2010 – National survey of preventive health services in U.S. emergency departments
Dr. M. Kit Delgado was recently featured in MedPage Today for his study, showing the majority of U.S. emergency departments offer some preventive healthcare services, although the types of services vary. This study was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine. PMID: 20889237

August 2010 – Trends in pediatric emergency department visits for food-induced anaphylaxis
Dr. Susan Rudders was featured in CNN and Reuters for her study, showing a significant increase in ER visits for food-induced allergic reactions. This study was published in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. PMID: 20621344

June 2010 – EMNet findER, iPhone application
EMNet findER was featured in Boston Globe and Wired Magazine. The app uses the iPhone’s GPS to quickly locate the user’s current location and the distance to the closest ER anywhere within the US.