Healthcare Risk Management – December 1, 2007
December 1, 2007
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George Clooney's medical records prove irresistible to prying eyes
Ensuring the privacy of patients and the security of their medical records is fairly well accepted by staff, and most will not hesitate to pledge their commitment to keeping medical records private. But what happens when one of the world's biggest movie stars shows up at your hospital for a minor emergency, with no opportunity to plan VIP treatment and added security? -
Background on the Clooney medical records breach
This is the background to the medical records breach that led to suspension without pay of 27 employees at Palisades Medical Center in Bergen, NJ. -
Clooney case shows need for training
The privacy breach with George Clooney's medical records indicates the staff of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ, did not truly understand the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), says Don Thomas, CEO of SoftLight Development. -
Phone calls during surgery can be risky
Suppose you were reviewing a new malpractice claim and a nurse told you that the surgeon happened to be on the phone when the patient made a mistake that injured the patient. Surely the surgeon was talking to another physician or reviewing lab results for the patient, right? -
Outsiders may know of phone use in OR
In many cases, inappropriate phone calls are more obvious to people other than the patient or the risk manager. -
Crew management yields good results
Crew resource management has been the key improvement that led to the significant improvements in patient safety in the obstetrics unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. -
Baby's death prompts changes in OB unit
The major improvements in patient safety in the obstetrics unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston were prompted by a series of tragic errors that led to a stillbirth in 2000. -
Hospital claims fall, thanks to OB, ED efforts
Risk managers are doing something right in the emergency department and obstetrical units, according to new data showing the frequency and severity of hospital claims are at new lows. -
Feds asks Mississippi court to clarify med-mal limits
Statutes of limitations can be key in determining whether some malpractice cases move forward or are dead in the water, so a federal appeals panel has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson to clarify when the clock starts ticking for medical malpractice claims. -
Legal Review & Commentary: Woman suffers bruising on arms after alleged abuse by nursing home director — $825,000 settlement
An elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease suffered severe bruising on her arms while staying at a residential care facility. Although the facility's director initially told the woman's daughter that the bruises were caused when the director had to restrain the woman from attacking her, the daughter subsequently learned that the bruises resulted when the director became angry at the resident and grabbed and twisted her arms while dragging her across the floor.