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The leaders at San Francisco General Hospital were more than happy to participate in a nationwide Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) program that offers routine rapid HIV testing to all ED patients, but they believed strongly that universal testing was not practical.
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In a recently released advisory opinion, the Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) has told the facility that requested the opinion, which they didn't disclose, that its plan to compensate physicians for taking call represented "a low risk of fraud and abuse."
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The Joint Commission has issued a reminder to providers that many accreditation standards can help reduce the risk of transmission of H1N1 (swine) flu.
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In this month's special issue, we tackle the complexities of liability in outpatient surgery. Our cover story tells you about the most common problem areas, and how to avoid them. A story on page 67 tells you about how following national guidelines could offer protection from liability. We discuss the Life Safety Code on page 69.
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A child comes in for repair of a cleft palate. The left side of the mouth already has been repaired, and this procedure is scheduled for the right side. The consent form is correct and is signed. The team performs a timeout, and everyone agrees they will work on the right side. The surgeon cuts into the left side, according to a media report.
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Medicare's new Conditions for Coverage for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which took effect May 18, include a requirement that ASCs must adhere to professional acceptable standards of practice for infection control. One key to avoiding liability in that area is proper instrument disinfection and sterilization.
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Complying with all of the vast details of the Life Safety Code is one of the more challenging aspects of outpatient surgery management.
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Although the National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) have been out for several years, outpatient surgery programs, as well as other health care providers, still struggle to comply.
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There are many detailed requirements of Life Safety Code (LSC) compliance, and many outpatient surgery managers are not aware of them.
