Publications by authors named "Nissa J Ali"
Study Objective: We assess Massachusetts emergency department (ED) involvement and internal ED constructs within accountable care organization contracts.
Methods: An online survey was distributed to 70 Massachusetts ED directors. Questions attempted to assess involvement of EDs in accountable care organizations and the structures in place in EDs-from departmental resources to physician incentives-to help achieve accountable care organization goals of decreasing spending and improving quality.
Background: Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness that is caused by a brief loss in generalized cerebral blood flow.
Objective: This article reviews the background, epidemiology, etiologies, evaluation, and disposition considerations of geriatric patients with syncope, with a focus on cardiovascular risk.
Discussion: Although syncope is one of the most common symptoms in elderly patients presenting to the emergency department, syncope causes in geriatric patients can present differently than in younger populations, and the underlying etiology is often challenging to discern.
Epiglottitis is an uncommon but life-threatening disease. While the most common infectious causes are the typical respiratory pathogens, is a rare causative organism. We present a case of epiglottitis diagnosed by blood culture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Medicare observation rules remain controversial despite Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revisions and the new 2-midnight rule. The increased financial risks for patients and heightened awareness of the rule have placed emergency physicians (EPs) at the center of the controversy.
Discussion: This article reviews the primary ethical and legal (particularly with respect to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) implications of the existing observation rule for EPs and offers practical solutions for EPs faced with counseling patients on the meaning and ramifications of the observation rule.