Healthcare Risk Management articles from February 2008

Healthcare Risk Management archives from February 2008

Heparin error highlights risk and need for health care risk managers to take action.
February 1, 2008... Heparin error highlights risk and need for health care risk managers to take action Mistake with Dennis Quaid's children brings attention Heparin continues to pose a significant risk of dosage errors, and the recent tragedy involving...

Baxter and FDA warned of heparin risk in 2007.
February 1, 2008... Baxter and FDA warned of heparin risk in 2007 This is an excerpt from the "Important Medi-cation Safety Alert" that was issued on Feb. 6, 2007, by Baxter Healthcare Corp. and the Food and Drug Administration involving Heparin Sodium...

Hospitals pledge no charges for adverse events.
February 1, 2008... Hospitals pledge no charges for adverse events The Massachusetts Hospital Association recently announced that all Massachusetts hospitals are adopting a uniform policy to not charge patients or insurers for certain serious adverse events...

Will staff really speak up if needed?
February 1, 2008... Will staff really speak up if needed? The health care community has been urging staff and patients to "speak up" when necessary to protect patient safety, but how do you know if your staff truly will make a stand in a difficult situation?...

Data show staff don't always speak.
February 1, 2008... Data show staff don't always speak The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture: 2007 Comparative Database Report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in Rockville, MD, cites "nonpunitive response to error" as one...

Cell phone used to photograph genitals.
February 1, 2008... Cell phone used to photograph genitals The latest example of how the omnipresent cell phone camera can threaten patient privacy and invite lawsuits comes from Phoenix, where a surgeon is accused of using his cell phone to photograph a...

IT systems linked to better outcomes.
February 1, 2008... IT systems linked to better outcomes Patients are more likely to have better health outcomes if they are treated at hospitals using information technology (IT) systems, according to a new study from Florida State University in Tallahassee....

Just one more RN can save lives.
February 1, 2008... Just one more RN can save lives If hospitals added one more full-time registered nurse (RN) on staff to care for patients, the number of hospital-related deaths in the United States could decrease significantly, according to a new review...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Are HIPAA privacy changes coming?
February 1, 2008... HIPAA Regulatory Alert Are HIPAA privacy changes coming? Many contend privacy rule has had negative impact on human subject research With studies indicating researchers and the general public have concerns about HIPAA privacy...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: HIMSS backs Wired for Health Care Quality Act.
February 1, 2008... HIPAA Regulatory Alert HIMSS backs Wired for Health Care Quality Act The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has endorsed S. 1693 u the Wired for Health Care Quality Act of 2007 u and has strongly urged...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: HIPAA allows disclosure to state oversight group.
February 1, 2008... HIPAA Regulatory Alert HIPAA allows disclosure to state oversight group An Ohio federal court has ruled that HIPAA's confidentiality requirements don't excuse the state's Medicaid agency from disclosing patient information sought in a...

Legal Review & Commentary: Failure to discover that autistic child swallowed foreign object leads to death and $1 million verdict in Illinois.
February 1, 2008... Legal Review & Commentary Failure to discover that autistic child swallowed foreign object leads to death and $1 million verdict in Illinois By Jon T. Gatto, Esq., Blake J. Delaney, Esq., Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Tampa, FL ...

Legal Review & Commentary: When interviewing, 'harmless' questions could get you sued.(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... Legal Review & Commentary When interviewing, 'harmless' questions could get you sued By Stacey Kusterbeck, Contributing Editor, ED Legal Letter, Atlanta When you are interviewing, any comments about race, national origin,...

CE objectives/questions.
February 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...