Healthcare Risk Management articles from July 2004

Healthcare Risk Management archives from July 2004

Prevention of falls and fires may make their way to the top of new safety goals: start now to assess your risk, improve prevention efforts.(patient safety measures-risk management)
July 1, 2004... Several perennial worries of risk managers are under consideration by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) as new National Patient Safety Goals for 2005, and experts in two of the hottest topics say you...

Looking to avoid trouble? Take a look at these goals.
July 1, 2004... Here are the proposed 2005 National Patient Safety Goals for hospitals. The goals differ somewhat from one health care setting to another. For more on the proposed 2005 National Patient Safety Goals, go to www.jcaho.org and select...

Typical surgical fire involves oxidizers, fuel.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Consider this true example, taken from the December 2003 issue of ECRI's Health Devices, of how a tire can occur during surgery: During a tonsillectomy, the surgeon had packed the space around the uncuffed tracheal tube with dampened gauze...

Living wills called useless; power of attorney is better.
July 1, 2004... Living wills don't work and waste your time when you promote them to patients, according to researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) in Ann Arbor. Even aside from what's best for patients, living wills may lull risk managers into a false...

Establish ground rules with your legal counsel.(risk managers)
July 1, 2004... Expectations are key to having a good working relationship with legal counsel, says Pamela L. Popp, MA, JD, FASHRM, CPHRM, vice president for health care practice with McQueary Henry in Dallas, which provides insurance products and risk...

JCAHO updates advice on avoiding wrong-site errors.(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
July 1, 2004... Continuing the effort to eliminate what it calls an entirely preventable class of error, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has updated its frequently asked questions on how to avoid performing a procedure on the...

CE questions.(chief executive)(continuing education program-nurses participation)
July 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...

Finding root causes without blame helps eliminate errors: initiative boosts staff support for improvement efforts.(hospital administration-patient health management)
July 1, 2004... Searching for the root causes of adverse patient safety events under its new nonpunitive environment policy" has helped Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, IN, not only eliminate errors but also boost staff morale and engender staff support...

When it comes to background checks for employees, follow your own rules.(cases of home health care agencies)
July 1, 2004... News: The parents of a newborn baby retained a home health agency to provide in-home child care. The agency failed to follow its screening procedures when selecting the nurse's aide and overlooked her history of drug abuse and theft. After 12...

Neck injury leads to an $18 million verdict in LA.(Louisiana)
July 1, 2004... News: A young woman injured her head and neck in a severe car accident. Before transporting her to the hospital, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) secured her neck with a cervical safety collar. Upon arrival at an emergency department (ED),...