Healthcare Risk Management articles from August 2008

Healthcare Risk Management archives from August 2008

Reduce ED violence with training, diligent reporting to avoid harm.(emergency department )
August 1, 2008... Reduce ED violence with training, diligent reporting to avoid harm Don't let staff accept assaults as unavoidable part of the job Violence in the emergency department (ED) is such a common occurrence that staff can become complacent...

Training, buddy system can reduce ED violence.(emergency department )
August 1, 2008... Training, buddy system can reduce ED violence Angry, violent individuals need specialized attention, and improperly handling a crisis can mean years of litigation, warns Robert Siciliano, CEO of NurseSecurity.com and a personal security...

Know what to do when faced with suit.
August 1, 2008... Know what to do when faced with suit It can be a common occurrence for risk managers, but it still makes your heart skip a little when you learn that there is a new claim or lawsuit against your facility. What do you do? Medical malpractice...

Never alter chart to help lawsuit.
August 1, 2008... Never alter chart to help lawsuit Everyone knows you should never alter medical records after the fact, right? But if it is so clear to everyone, why do medical malpractice defense attorneys repeat that rule like a mantra, and why do they...

Hospital cuts injuries with 'falls cart'.
August 1, 2008... Hospital cuts injuries with 'falls cart' Sometimes the most effective strategies for those problems that plague every health care facility are not high tech and don't require a highly paid consultant. Sometimes the solution can be...

Fall risk factors vary with groups.
August 1, 2008... Fall risk factors vary with groups Risk managers should remember that the risk factors for falls are dependent on the situation, says Alan M. Jette, PT, PhD, FAPTA, professor of health policy and management at Boston University's School of...

2009 safety goals address site marking.
August 1, 2008... 2009 safety goals address site marking The Joint Commission's 2009 National Patient Safety Goals introduce some significant changes for hospitals related to multiple drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and more stringent standards for how...

$20 million verdict after liposuction death.
August 1, 2008... $20 million verdict after liposuction death A Pennsylvania jury has awarded $20 million to the family of an 18-year-old Newtown Square, PA, woman who died after a liposuction procedure. The verdict came seven years ago to the day after...

Legal Review & Commentary: Failure to diagnose fatal sepsis leads to $1.835 million verdict in New York.
August 1, 2008... Legal Review & Commentary Failure to diagnose fatal sepsis leads to $1.835 million verdict in New York By Jon T. Gatto, Esq., Blake J. Delaney, Esq., Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Tampa, FL News: A middle-aged man was taken to...

Legal Review & Commentary: Brain-damaged child: $30 million malpractice verdict.
August 1, 2008... Legal Review & Commentary Brain-damaged child: $30 million malpractice verdict After an extraordinary 14 years of litigation, a Broward County, FL, jury recently entered a $30 million verdict against a hospital and an obstetrician for...

CE objectives/questions.
August 1, 2008... 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 management in health care. * Explain how...