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An elderly woman was allegedly abused by employees at a nursing home. The woman's family repeatedly complained to management, who failed to investigate the issue. After more than a year of unaddressed complaints, the family installed a hidden camera in the room. Footage from the camera reveals multiple instances of staff abuse. A jury verdict was awarded in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $7.75 million.
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Health care facilities are being confronted with steadily increasing rates of crime, including assault, rape and murder, according to a new report from The Joint Commission (TJC) in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Providers must devote more attention to protecting patients, visitors, and staff from violence, the report says.
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A scoring system designed to provide an early warning of patients who may need prompt care has helped a hospital decrease its code blue calls outside the intensive care unit (ICU) by 50% and increase rapid response team (RRT) calls by 110%.
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A pregnant woman exhibiting bleeding caused by placenta previa was hospitalized. Twelve days later, while walking to the bathroom, the woman experienced a massive hemorrhage, resulting in the premature birth of her twins. The hospital staff allegedly failed to adequately monitor the mother and confine her to bed, a necessity for women suffering from placenta previa. The resulting injuries to one of the infants have required multiple surgeries and rehabilitative sessions throughout her life, and she suffers from a continual debilitating condition.
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A risk manager would never want to sit down with a family and try to explain that their loved one was harmed because the patient was treated in the middle of the night or on a Saturday, when standards are lower and risks are higher. But that could be the truth in some facilities, where patients are at higher risk during off-peak hours.
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Healthcare Risk Management was awarded first place in the category of "Best Instructional Reporting" by the Specialized Information Publishing Association.
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One potential cause of danger in off-peak hours is that those staff may not receive the same level of education on important issues from the employer...
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Sometimes, it is the simplest thing that can trip you up and create a liability risk, not to mention a huge hassle for your staff.
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Retained items in surgery are a constant risk in the OR, and there still is no perfect solution.
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It may seem intuitive, and risk managers certainly hoped it was true, but a new study showing a direct correlation between improved patient safety and a reduction in malpractice claims is still welcome news.
