Healthcare Risk Management – April 1, 2024

Patient and Family Complaints Require Careful Response

Healthcare organizations should have processes for responding to complaints from patients and families. The nature and seriousness of the complaint will dictate how much of a response is required.

HHS Proposes Cybersecurity Requirements for Hospitals

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a concept paper outlining its cybersecurity strategy for the healthcare sector, focusing specifically on strengthening resilience for hospitals threatened by cyberattacks. HHS outlined four pillars for action, including new voluntary healthcare-specific cybersecurity performance goals.

Hospital Crippled by Days-Long Cyberattack

Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago’s largest pediatric provider, experienced a cyberattack that crippled its email systems and most of its phone service for nearly two weeks.

Failure to Diagnose and Treat Post-Surgery Infection Leads to $1.18 Million Verdict

One of the primary takeaways from this case is the importance of keeping thorough and accurate records. Keeping thorough and accurate records is important given the length of time that lapses between the underlying medical services and the potential for legal action, particularly trials.

Defendants Prevail Against Malpractice Claims Related to Hernia Surgery and Medication List

This case has many lessons to learn from the multiple defendants, multiple theories of malpractice liability, and multiple defenses. Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of this case relates to the patient’s primary care physician, who was one of the two remaining defendants when the matter proceeded to trial.