Healthcare Risk Management articles from April 2005

Healthcare Risk Management archives from April 2005

Preventing falls among elderly patients means a focus on their special needs.
April 1, 2005... Preventing falls among elderly patients means a focus on their special needs Noise, lighting play important role for geriatric population How often have you walked into a patient care area and been blasted by an array of television...

Colors, noise level key to reducing falls in the elderly.
April 1, 2005... Colors, noise level key to reducing falls in the elderly That armchair in the common area might be more than just ugly. It might actually be contributing to falls if your elderly patients look at it and get dizzy from the pattern. ...

To prevent falls, know your elderly patients.
April 1, 2005... To prevent falls, know your elderly patients Elderly patients pose special challenges when it comes to falls, so your prevention strategy must take into account the factors unique to this population. This summary is offered by Roberta A....

7 steps to take for a claims management strategy.
April 1, 2005... 7 steps to take for a claims management strategy Open discussion of medical errors and other liability issues actually can help drive claims down, not up, as many risk managers fear, says Kathryn K. Wire, MBA, CPHRM, president of Enhanced...

JCAHO calls for reform of liability system.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
April 1, 2005... JCAHO calls for reform of liability system JCAHO has issued a call to reform the nation's medical liability system, urging the current proposal for caps on noneconomic damages be expanded to pursue intermediate and long-term system changes...

Microchip promises to reduce wrong-site errors.(SurgiChip Tag Surgical Marker System)
April 1, 2005... Microchip promises to reduce wrong-site errors The FDA recently approved a new device that the manufacturer says could dramatically reduce the incidence of wrong-site surgery by applying a microchip with detailed patient information...

Med-mal awards rise some but are starting to level off.(medical-malpractice claims)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Med-mal awards rise some but are starting to level off Jury awards for medical-malpractice claims rose fractionally in recent months while awards for all personal-injury liabilities fell significantly, according to a report from Jury...

Study: Medication errors often occur at admission.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Study: Medication errors often occur at admission Medication errors are common at the time of hospital admission, and some have the potential to be harmful, according to a recent report in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2005;...

JCAHO alters goal about standard abbreviations.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... JCAHO alters goal about standard abbreviations JCAHO recently altered the 2005 requirements for meeting National Patient Safety Goal 2b that requires organizations to standardize abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols used throughout the...

Reader Question: Check before offering to subsidize docs' insurance.
April 1, 2005... Reader Question Check before offering to subsidize docs' insurance Question: Can our hospital subsidize physicians medical liability insurance without facing prosecution under the portion of the Social Security Act that addresses...

Legal Review & Commentary: Untreated subdural hematoma leads to brain damage: $1.9 million verdict against hospital.
April 1, 2005... Legal Review & Commentary Untreated subdural hematoma leads to brain damage: $1.9 million verdict against hospital By Jan J. Gorrie, Esq. Buchanan Ingersoll PC, Tampa, FL News: An elderly gentleman with a history of fainting...

Legal Review & Commentary: Medication error results in $120,000 California award.
April 1, 2005... Legal Review & Commentary Medication error results in $120,000 California award By Jan J. Gorrie, Esq. Buchanan Ingersoll PC, Tampa, FL News: A patient received quinine sulfate when she should have gotten quinidine sulfate....

CE questions.(continuing education, nursing)
April 1, 2005... CE objectives After reading this issue of Healthcare Risk Management, the CE participant should be able to: * Describe legal, clinical, financial, and managerial issues pertinent to risk managers in health care. * Explain how...