Healthcare Risk Management articles from February 2004

Healthcare Risk Management archives from February 2004

Wrong-site surgery: officials now recommending zero tolerance: they say there's no reason for one more wrong-site error.
February 1, 2004... Voicing ever stronger concerns that the health care community still is not doing enough to prevent wrong-site surgery, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) recently called on all providers to adopt a...

Surgeon or nurse should mark the operative site.(Universal Protocol )
February 1, 2004... At a recent press conference concerning the Universal Protocol to prevent wrong-site surgery, proponents answered some of the most frequent questions about how to follow the protocol: Question: Is it necessary for the surgeon to mark the...

Kaiser hospital vows to enforce Universal Protocol.(Kaiser Foundation Hospital)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A San Francisco hospital is taking the Universal Protocol so seriously that it has threatened to suspend entire operative teams--the surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses, and anyone else in the room--if the procedures to prevent wrong-site surgery...

Case of the killer nurse reveals new-hire obstacles.
February 1, 2004... A nurse who admitted to authorities that he killed 30-40 severely ill patients is putting the spotlight on the difficulty of investigating the backgrounds of those applying for patient care positions in health care, says the CEO of the hospital...

In-house education: it may have a big payoff.
February 1, 2004... Educating physicians about risk management issues can be difficult and time-consuming, so it's tempting to let your insurer send in a speaker once in a while and leave it at that. But the risk manager at a Texas hospital says you'll get better...

Enterprise liability: these tips can help spot trouble.
February 1, 2004... "Enterprise liability" is a legal concept that some advocates say can help health care organizations achieve patient safety, but it could represent another reason for risk managers to worry, says Fay A. Rozovsky, JD, MPH, DFASHRM, DSA, senior...

It's no EMTALA violation to get insurance info first.(Reader Question)(Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1985)
February 1, 2004... Question: Can we collect insurance information after triage in the emergency department but before the medical screening examination? We hear conflicting explanations about whether this violates the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act...

FDA warns of fire danger from electric hospital beds.
February 1, 2004... In a special "Dear Colleague" letter aimed at risk managers and other hospital leaders, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that some electrically powered hospital beds may pose a risk of fire. The letter notes that the FDA has...

Doctor in pain case must attend education courses.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The Medical Board of California has issued a severe reprimand to a physician accused of providing inadequate pain relief to a dying man, requiring him to attend advanced training to improve his performance. The action caps a series of legal...

CE questions.
February 1, 2004... Nurses participate in this continuing education program by reading the issue, using the provided references for further research, and studying the questions at the end of the issue. Participants should select what they believe to be the correct...

Privacy expert urges clarification for privacy regs: Health Privacy Project advocates increase in technical guidance.
February 1, 2004... Health Privacy Project executive director Janlori Goldman said that while many glitches and misinterpretations of the HIPAA privacy regulation have been resolved, others remain and should be addressed by the Department of Health and Human...

The HIPAA privacy rule: sorting myths from facts: expert responds to 13 persistent HIPAA myths.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 )
February 1, 2004... In testimony late last year before the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics' Subcommittee on Privacy and Confidentiality, Health Privacy Project executive director Janlori Goldman...

Hospitals having problems with privacy reg, AHA says: three aspects of rule creating unnecessary burdens.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... American Hospital Association (AHA) attorney Lawrence Hughes said there are aspects of the privacy rule that still are not working well and are creating unnecessary burdens for hospitals, with little benefit to patients. One of the biggest...

Survey shows physicians not ready for HIPAA: fewer than 50% perform background checks.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 )
February 1, 2004... Rhode Island's Seacrest DocSecurity surveyed re than 500 physicians nationwide late in 2003, questioning them on requirements that insurance companies ask for before underwriting physicians and hospitals for insurance, and concluded that while...

HIPPA Q & A.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
February 1, 2004... Question: Does the security rule specify how a risk analysis must be conducted? Answer: The security rule requires all covered entities to perform an accurate and thorough assessment of the potential risks and vulnerabilities to the...

Hospital, couple disagree on embryos' storage: confidential settlement reached.(Legal Review & Commentary[TM])
February 1, 2004... News: A university hospital harvested and stored 28 embryos for a couple who had been unsuccessful in conceiving a child. Ten years later, the hospital disposed of the embryos, believing that the failure on the part of the couple to respond to...

A baby's death and a $5 million settlement.(Legal Review & Commentary[TM])
February 1, 2004... News: A woman in labor told an attending nurse that she thought the hospital and the obstetrician were not attending to her in a timely manner. The labor and delivery nurse contacted her obstetrician, but he failed to appropriately respond. The...