-
The federal governments plan for vaccinating key health care workers against smallpox immediately set off warning bells for risk managers. Though it appears the risk for health care providers wont be as bad as some initially feared, that doesnt mean you can take the smallpox vaccinations lightly.
-
Reducing the risks in an environment as complex as the emergency department requires the support and involvement of decision makers at all levels of the organization. Despite the complexity of emergency department (ED) liability, sometimes a review of the basics can greatly reduce your risk and improve patient safety.
-
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says it soon will begin targeted inspections of nursing and personal care facilities experiencing injury and illness rates higher than the industry average.
-
While most doctors are against drinking any alcohol while on call, nearly one-quarter of the 135 doctors surveyed in a recent study from Hamilton County, TN, admitted to drinking alcohol while on call. Sixty-four percent reported having encountered colleagues whom they suspected had used alcohol, and 27% thought they had seen physicians impaired by alcohol while on call.
-
News: A woman underwent elective breast augmentation and, in addition to general anesthesia, was given lidocaine as a local anesthetic. After surgery, in the recovery room, a nurse on duty noticed the patient was unresponsive and twitching.
-
Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn, MI, is using the slogan were an emergency room, not a waiting room and backing up its claim with an offer of free theater tickets to patients who wait more than 30 minutes.
-
While proposed changes to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) would give hospitals more leeway in certain areas, its important to remember that those changes arent yet in effect, cautions Stephen Frew, JD, a longtime specialist in EMTALA compliance.
-
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently approved a plan that calls for smallpox immunization of 510,000 health care workers.
-
News Briefs: New JCAHO process will debut in 2004; Feds offer database for record disclosures; Web site answers FAQs about HIPAA; Patient records linked as part of warning system; Hospital web sites gain in popularity.
-
Outcome measurement at University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle typically is tied in some way with quality improvement office initiatives. Therefore, to improve patient education, staff recently looked at the quarterly patient satisfaction reports the medical center receives from a vendor.
