Articles Tagged With:
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Community-Acquired Pneumonia Guidelines: Updates and Disputes
An update of elements of community-acquired pneumonia guidelines have been published. Of note is that these were not endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America because of disagreement over recommendations for empiric antibiotic administration to some patient subsets with positive tests for respiratory viral infection.
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Aluminum-Adsorbed Vaccines and Chronic Diseases in Children
A large Danish cohort study of 1.2 million children found no association between cumulative aluminum exposure from childhood vaccines and increased risk for autoimmune, atopic/allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders, adding to nearly a century of safety data for aluminum adjuvants, although the study’s findings have been the subject of public debate about interpretation of secondary analyses.
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Routine Boosting Against Tetanus and Diphtheria in Adults: A Time to Reconsider
Slifka and colleagues make a strong argument against the routine booster vaccination of adults against tetanus and diphtheria as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Health and Economic Burden of Long COVID in the United States
Researchers using a computational simulation model found that the current health and economic burden of long COVID already exceeds the cost of several chronic diseases and will continue to grow as COVID-19 cases increase.
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Purl Decision Affects HIPAA Compliance, Reproductive Health
A recent court ruling has a significant effect on HIPAA compliance as it pertains to reproductive health. It can be seen as relief from a rule that some criticized as burdensome and unnecessary. When the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization prompted states to restrict access to reproductive health services, Health and Human Services issued a rule strengthening reproductive health privacy protections under HIPAA.
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Court Upholds Record $207 Million Malpractice Verdict
In July 2025, an appellate court unanimously affirmed a record-breaking medical malpractice judgment of $207 million against a hospital for catastrophic birth injuries. The case involved a newborn who sustained severe brain damage leading to cerebral palsy and profound lifelong disabilities after a mishandled delivery at the hospital. A jury had awarded $183 million (later increased to $207 million with delay damages) for the child’s future care needs and pain and suffering. On appeal, the hospital argued that the verdict was exorbitant and unsupported, but the appellate court held that the award did not “shock the conscience” in light of the trial evidence.
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Jury Awards $20 Million in Fatal Surgery Malpractice Case
A jury awarded $20 million to the estate of a 68-year-old patient who died following what was supposed to be a routine abdominal surgery. The three-week trial revealed that the patient experienced internal bleeding during a sigmoid colon resection, but neither the hospital’s surgeons nor the anesthesia group recognized or adequately responded to it. By the time action was taken, the patient had entered hemorrhagic shock and could not be revived.
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Spouse and Family Access to PHI Often Disputed
As long as HIPAA has been around, one of the most contentious issues has been whether spouses, partners, other family, or friends can receive information about a patient — or whether non-healthcare entities can discuss someone’s health. Healthcare providers often misinterpret HIPAA requirements in this area, either being overly restrictive or releasing protected health information improperly.
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Know When to Settle and When to Fight
With any medical malpractice case, or other lawsuit, the healthcare organization always comes to a decision point about whether to settle or fight the claim in court. Thinking ahead about how to make that decision can help you make the right choice when the time comes.
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Staying Compliant Can Be Challenging in 2025
Compliance is always a main concern for healthcare leaders, but some periods can be more challenging than others. Different federal administrations address compliance in different ways, and it is important to understand their particular areas of focus.