Healthcare Risk Management – October 1, 2007
October 1, 2007
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911 call from emergency department shows the need for response teams
When a 43-year-old woman's family and a bystander had to call 911 to seek help for her as she was lying on the floor in the ED at Martin Luther King Jr. — Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles, it was the beginning of the end for the troubled hospital. -
Frequent checks can spot patients at risk
The recent case in which a woman died while awaiting care in a hospital emergency department (ED), while others called 911 for help, could be a reminder of the need for staff to check for updates on patients waiting for emergency treatment. -
Taser use on father stuns some experts
A recent incident in which police officers used a stun gun to stop a man who was trying to leave a hospital with his own child has prompted concern among health care professionals who wonder if the action was justified, especially because the man was holding the infant at the time he was stunned. -
Pass the baton or NUTS for safer handoff
Pass the baton or pass the NUTS, but either way you're passing on vital patient information that can improve patient safety and reduce the risk of adverse events, say the risk managers who use these innovative patient handoff strategies. -
Health system is first to automate drug info
Fauquier Health System of Warrenton, VA, has announced that it is the first health system in the nation to pilot a system that will improve patient safety by automatically incorporating a patient's current prescription information into the hospital environment. -
Legal Review and Commentary: Nursing home resident suffers head injuries when thrown to floor from wheelchair
A nursing home resident was thrown to the floor after her foot and leg became caught in her wheelchair. The employee pushing the woman's wheelchair had apparently disregarded warnings that the woman's foot and leg were caught and had continued pushing the chair, including giving it a hard lunge. The woman suffered severe injuries to her head and died 14 months later. -
Legal Review and Commentary: Florida lists rights for nursing home patients
In Florida, nursing home facilities must adopt and make public a statement of the rights and responsibilities of the residents of such facilities. -
Patient Safety Alert
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HRM wins award for Katrina coverage
The Specialized Information Publishers Foundation (SIPF) has awarded the 2007 Award for Editorial Excellence to Healthcare Risk Management for its coverage of the criminal allegations against health care providers that arose after Hurricane Katrina.