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OSHA promises closer scrutiny of staff injuries

OSHA is cracking down on injuries to nurses and other healthcare staff members.

Never events usually are traced to multiple human factors, not just a root cause

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic confirm what many risk managers note from their own root cause analyses: Most never events can be traced back to human factors rather than just a root cause.

RCAs become RCA2s under new NPSF guidelines

<> Analysis is good, but acting on that information is what really makes a difference. That’s the message from the National Patient Safety Foundation, which revised its guidelines for conducting a root cause analysis.

Revamped RRT and early warning system improves safety at pediatric hospital

A pediatric hospital reports improved patient safety from an early warning system that helps identify patients most at risk for a gradual but severe decline toward being critically ill.

Anesthesiologist ordered to pay $500,000 after patient’s smartphone records insults

After a three-day trial, a Fairfax County, VA, jury ordered an anesthesiologist and her practice to pay a patient $500,000 for disparaging remarks made during surgery and a false diagnosis on his chart. The man might never have known about the offenses if he had not accidentally recorded the encounter on his smartphone.

Warning! The Phone has Ears

Patients often record encounters with clinicians, usually so they can review medication instructions. But here's the downside.

When does a hospital’s apology switch to being manipulation?

Risk managers have largely embraced the idea of apologizing after an adverse event and communicating fully with the patient or family members, in no small part because this approach has been proven to reduce malpractice costs. It just seems like the right thing to do and promotes a positive image of the hospital.

Medication dosage error for infant patient leads to $17.8 million verdict for plaintiff

A 4-day-old infant had an aortic coarctation, a narrowing of the aorta, which is a relatively common and easily curable heart defect. While preparing for surgery to correct the condition, the doctor ordered the nurse to give the infant pre-surgery medication.

Allegedly botched and unnecessary surgery results in $4.25 million award for patient

The plaintiff, a female in her mid-30s, had been suffering a lengthy battle with being overweight. She sought out and was given the option of receiving gastric bypass surgery.

Quality reduces liability more than tort reform

Tort reform is often cited as the potential solution for the rising cost of medical malpractice claims, but a new study suggests that better results come from increasing quality of care.