Healthcare Risk Management 1999 Index

Baby kidnapping

JCAHO issues advice on prevention, JUN:75

new tags help prevent, JAN:14

Compliance programs

ethics can coexist with corporate compliance, JAN:6

federal crackdown on overpayments, APR:48

tips from ethics and compliance officer, JAN:11

Confidentiality

Joint Commission addresses, JAN:11

Joint Commission, NCQA call for privacy protections, JAN:12

Contracts

risk managers should review, JUN:73

Deaf patients and relatives

judgment underscores need to help the deaf, JUN:65

local groups can offer help, JUN:68

written notes not enough, JUN:67

Emergency room policy

EMTALA compliance means strict rules, FEB:20

EMTALA warning means risk is greater, FEB:17

feds offer advice on EMTALA compliance, FEB:19

feds unsure how to handle dual-staffing, FEB:20

Fraud and abuse

accounting firms more likely to be independent, AUG:95

amnesty offered for returning bonus capital, OCT:118

billing fraud victory a good omen for doctors, JUN:71

charges can't be blamed on accountants, AUG:92

hospital receives $21.5 million in brokerage case, FEB:21

gainsharing deals for physicians not allowed, OCT:123

Justice Department joins whistle-blower suit, FEB:22

many physicians deceive payers, AUG:96

physicians warned about home care equipment, APR:49

risk managers could be charged with fraud, AUG:96

tips for avoiding narcotics fraud, APR:52

Informed consent

documentation key to case alleging experiment, OCT:121

hospitals says it didn't experiment on patient, OCT:119

IRB approval needed for aggressive surgery, OCT:121

Harassment

assess your risk of personal harassment, MAR:38

can be legal land mine in health care, FEB:24

defining harassment, FEB:24

investigate harassment quickly, FEB:26

personal harassment creates liability, MAR:35

reduce liability from personal harassment, APR:44

take immediate action when violations occur, APR:46

Insurance

self-insurers gain by equities investment, NOV:131

Joint Commission

new surveys to be more difficult and risky, OCT:113

OIG report says JCAHO too easy on hospitals, SEP:107

put key players on call for fast response, OCT:116

review process could fail if seen as "gotcha" game, OCT:117

Lawsuits and penalties

$27 million verdict after refusing to settle, MAY:59

avoid implied promises when hiring, DEC:142

best doctors may be sued the most, JUN:74

cherry-picking nursing home patients creates liability, SEP:101

deselection litigation becoming more common, DEC:145

employment claims on the rise, DEC:140

hospital pays for leaving gunshot victim outside, MAY:63

lawsuit against scope repair companies could be problematic, DEC:144

mother asks $31 million after babies switched, JUL:85

tales of hiring and firing done poorly, DEC:142

tips for avoiding employment claims, DEC:143

use caution in responding to angry letter, FEB:23

workplace bullying can be dangerous liability, APR:47

Legislation and regulations

major changes likely in next year, JAN:12

Medical and diagnostic errors

alert insurance carrier of major liability, JUL:79

automatic endoscope reprocessors could fail, NOV:135

automation no cure for errors, SEP:108

errors with Celebrex and ferrous sulfate, NOV:134

FDA warns of contaminated dialysis equipment, JUL:88

oversight improvements to improve biopsy readings, JUL:80

prostate biopsy mix-up handled well, JUL:77

Mediation

helps hospital safe time and money on disputes, NOV:125

high caseload led hospital to try mediation, NOV:127

mediation sought when outlook is risky, NOV:128

Outpatient clinics

may hold hidden exposures, JAN:13

Pain control

high-dose opiates could draw fire from states, MAY:57

high-dose opiates not apt to result in criminal charges, MAY:53

improve communication to reduce prosecution risk, MAY:58

some fear of prosecution is warranted, MAY:56

Peer review

Supreme Court action could be serious threat, AUG:92

Supreme Court action could threaten confidentiality of, AUG:89

Public relations

beware of losing good name by cherry-picking, SEP:103

Restraints

can be dropped without increasing injuries, MAR:33

facility finds creative alternatives, MAR:32

guidance issued on restraints and seclusion, APR:49

JCAHO says zero tolerance on restraint deaths, JUL:86

new guidelines in behavioral health could be difficult, DEC:137

several groups urge restraint changes, DEC:140

timetable for monitoring restrained patient, DEC:139

Safety and security

JCAHO hails reduction in meal-time violence, MAR:34

removing silverware cuts meal-time risk, MAR:34

Sentinel events

JCAHO fine-tunes policy, AUG:97

risk manager changes roles for root cause analysis, SEP:104

transfusion error sentinel events described, DEC:147

Stored umbilical cord blood

collection procedure is simple, APR: 44

may not pose major risk, but precautions necessary, APR:41

paperwork and policies necessary, APR:43

Surgery

confirm surgery site by signing it, MAR:31

Ethicon denies salesman participated in surgery, JAN:3

most hospitals allow salespeople in OR, JAN:5

office liposuction has low malpractice risk, JUL:85

plastic surgery patients may be likely to sue, JUL:83

research says malpractice risk high with plastic surgery, JUL:84

salesman in OR leads to fine and lawsuits, JAN:1

surgeons urged to sign patients to avoid wrong site, MAR:29

visitor's involvement fundamental to lawsuit, JAN:4

Technology

telemedicine increasing liability exposures, JAN:15

Y2K computer problem

doubt over whether health care industry is ready, NOV:130

FDA warns problems can happen now, MAR:39

government report says health care not ready, MAY:61

legal audit needed at end of year, NOV:128

review now to reduce exposure, MAY:60

Senate committee says health care vulnerable, NOV:131

tests show problems with Medicare, SEP:110