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Handle Whistleblower Complaints with Care
At the height of the healthcare industry’s response to COVID-19, some hospital employees gained national attention for their criticism of the lack of personal protective equipment and supposed failings by their employers. Some employers appeared to retaliate against those whistleblowers, raising questions about how such complaints should be handled.
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Review Insurance Policies for Benefits to Help with COVID-19 Costs
Insurance policies may include features that can produce unexpected costs from COVID-19. But policies may exclude communicable diseases.
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Limited Protection from COVID-19 Liability Available in Some States
Healthcare organizations facing potential liability related to COVID-19 may have some protection available on state and federal levels. State protections vary, but one example is New York, which recently passed legislation that provides healthcare providers and facilities with immunity against potential lawsuits related to COVID-19.
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Nursing Homes Face Serious Liability Risks from COVID-19
Nursing homes and affiliated health systems may face an onslaught of lawsuits alleging they failed to properly care for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited resources and the vulnerability of nursing home residents led to many deaths in nursing homes, and families will question whether those deaths could have been prevented.
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USPSTF Releases Draft Recommendations for Healthier Diets, More Physical Activity
The panel suggests using behavioral counseling to promote overall better lifestyles, prevent cardiovascular disease.
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Chaplains ‘Uniquely Positioned’ to Help During COVID-19
Learn how chaplains can put their specialized training to use to help not only patients and families but staff, too.
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Is the Family Hoping for a Miracle? Ethical Responses Vary
Parents sometimes want life-sustaining technology continued because a miracle is possible, but the pediatrician believes it is harmful. The key to an ethical response in this kind of case is to gain insight into what the parent means by “miracle.” A recent paper offers a process-based approach to this.
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POLST Forms Not Always Used as Intended, Rarely Accessed in EDs
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms have been implemented widely to reduce unwanted, aggressive treatment for patients with serious illness at the end of life. However, most studies on POLST have been limited to nursing home residents or among decedents. Researchers set out to better understand how POLST forms are used in the hospital, and whether treatment limitations on POLST influence the intensity of treatment hospital patients received.
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Families’ Surprising Opinions on End-of-Life ICU Care
Intensive care units may be associated with poor-quality end-of-life care. A recent study’s findings call that assumption into question — at least from the family’s perspective.
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Ethicists Offer Much-Needed Support to Clinicians with Moral Distress
The issue of moral distress is nothing new in healthcare, but the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the problem. Read on to learn how ethicists can help colleagues sort through unusual feelings.