-
Hospital-acquired infections are worsening in the United States, according to a recent report from Colorado-based Health Grades Inc. And a hospitals infection rate may be correlated with its likelihood for medical errors, the group suggests.
-
News: A patient tripped and fell over a vacuum cord after he had been discharged from the hospital, dressed, and was walking toward the nursing station to retrieve his valuables. He was readmitted for surgery to repair his torn medial meniscus. He sued the hospital and its cleaning service and was awarded $150,000 in damages.
-
Litigation regarding e-mail in health care already has reached the trial level, says Edward C. Mintzer Jr., a partner with the law firm of Rawle & Henderson in Philadelphia.
-
With more and more health information being transferred electronically, risk managers must be more cautious than ever about complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), says Cheryl Camin, JD, an attorney on the HIPAA practice team at the Dallas law firm of Gardere Wynne.
-
More than 90% of surveyed physicians in Pennsylvania reported defensive medicine practices such as overordering of diagnostic tests, unnecessary referrals, and avoidance of high-risk patients, according to a recent study.
-
Errors in drug ordering, dosage, and monitoring that may have serious consequences for patients persist in hospitals even after the adoption of computerized medication systems, according to a recent study.
-
By Jan J. Gorrie, Esq.
Buchanan Ingersoll PC Tampa, FL
News: Prior to surgery, a patient informed the hospital of her allergy to latex. Despite this warning, a latex catheter was used and she subsequently developed interstitial cystitis. She brought suit against the health care providers and was awarded $3.75 million in damages.
-
Foreign objects retained after surgery now are considered sentinel events.
-
Any effort to reduce surgical infections and their associated costs may run into a formidable hurdle: Operating room teams tend to assume theyre using best practices when theyre actually not.
-
Pediatric falls require different strategies, not same old thing
Falls among elderly patients are high on the priority list for any risk manager, but what about your patients on the other end of the spectrum? Are you doing all you can to prevent falls among your youngest patients?
