Healthcare Risk Management articles from August 2003

Healthcare Risk Management archives from August 2003

Unsafe for every need: too many details for patient safety goals can be trouble: some efforts to comply with goals can backfire.
August 1, 2003... As hospitals continue their efforts to comply with the National Patient Safety Goals issued by the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, some risk management and quality assurance experts are...

National Quality Forum has 30 ways to increase safety.
August 1, 2003... Representatives of leading health care and consumer groups have endorsed 30 patient safety practices they say should be universally used in health care settings to reduce the risk of harm resulting from processes, systems, or environments of...

Universal consent forms raise questions of ethics.
August 1, 2003... Using a universal consent form for multiple procedures anticipated for a patient can nearly double the consent rate for most of the invasive procedures performed in an intensive care unit (ICU), according to researchers in Chicago. But...

Insurance policy to cover violations of HIPAA rules.
August 1, 2003... A San Francisco insurer is offering health care providers what it says may be a first in underwriting--a professional liability insurance policy specifically geared toward electronic-based and web-enabled transactions for health care...

Tired of back injuries? Let technology do heavy lifting. (Reader Questions).
August 1, 2003... Question: We have been trying to reduce back injuries among our nurses and other staff for years, but we're not satisfied with the results. Despite extensive education and training for staff, we're still spending a fortune on workers' comp and...

Falling Leaf programs tell who is most at risk to fall. (Reader Questions).
August 1, 2003... Question: Our hospital recently acquired a long-term care facility that I'm now responsible for, and the first thing I noticed was the disturbingly high rate of falls among the elderly patients. I've heard of a Falling Leaf program that might...

NJ malpractice premiums up 71% in just one year. (Reader Questions).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... With 2003 insurance quotes now in, New Jersey hospitals report an average annual medical malpractice insurance premium of nearly $1.9 million, a 71% increase over the average 2002 premium of $1.1 million. All told, New Jersey hospitals have...

CE questions.
August 1, 2003... 5. Based on the comments of Geri Amori, PhD, ARM, FASHRM, president of Communicating HealthCare, choose the correct statement: A. You usually should write extremely detailed policies and procedures for meeting JCAHO's patient safety goals....

A lack of consent and facial burns lead to a $376,000 verdict in Texas.
August 1, 2003... News: After an initial round of laser surgery on her face, the patient consented to a second procedure, which was limited to an eyelid tuck and minor laser surgery to her chin. Despite the limitation, the ophthalmologist performed a full-face...

Injury coverup leads to a $1.5 million settlement.
August 1, 2003... News: An elderly nursing home resident with a history of dementia fell and hit his head. Evidence of the incident was concealed by the nursing staff. Fortunately, his daughter saw him the next morning, realized that something had happened, and...