Acceptability of and symptom findings from an online symptom check-in tool for COVID-19 outpatient follow-up among a predominantly healthcare worker population.

Introduction: Health systems worldwide have had to prepare for a surge in volume in both the outpatient and inpatient settings since the emergence of COVID-19. Early international healthcare experiences showed approximately 80% of patients with COVID-19 had mild disease and therfore could be managed as outpatients. However, SARS-CoV-2 can cause a biphasic illness with those affected experiencing a clinical deterioration usually seen after day 4 of illness.

Usage of unscheduled hospital care by homeless individuals in Dublin, Ireland: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Homeless people lack a secure, stable place to live and experience higher rates of serious illness than the housed population. Studies, mainly from the USA, have reported increased use of unscheduled healthcare by homeless individuals.We sought to compare the use of unscheduled emergency department (ED) and inpatient care between housed and homeless hospital patients in a high-income European setting in Dublin, Ireland.

Serum potassium levels as an outcome determinant in acute medical admissions.

The relationship between serum potassium levels and mortality in acute medical admissions is uncertain. In particular, the relevance of minor abnormalities in potassium level or variations within the normal range remains to be determined. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all emergency medical admissions to St James's Hospital (Dublin, Ireland) between 2002 and 2012.

Consultant duration of clinical practice as a cost determinant of an emergency medical admission.

Background: Little data exists relating years of hospital consultant work experience, from time of consultant certification, and costs incurred for emergency medical patients under their care. We examined the total cost of emergency medical episodes in relation to certified consultant years experience using a database of emergency admissions.

Methods: All emergency admissions (19,295 patients) from January 2008 to December 2012 were studied.

MRI in acutely ill medical patients in an Irish hospital: influence on outcomes and length of hospital stay.

Purpose: MRI is an important diagnostic tool for acute medical admissions. Its relevance to in-hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS) has been examined at St James's Hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

Methods: All patients admitted for medical emergencies from 2010 through 2012 were studied (18,534 episodes); any relationship between an MRI request, underlying diagnosis on any in-hospital death, and LOS was examined.

Factors predicting the hospital episode costs of emergency medical admissions.

Background: Important outcome predictor variables for emergency medical admissions are the Manchester Triage Category, Acute Illness Severity, Chronic Disabling Disease and Sepsis Status. We have examined whether these are also predictors of hospital episode costs.

Methods: All patients admitted as medical emergencies between January 2008 and December 2012 were studied.