Healthcare Risk Management articles from March 2004

Healthcare Risk Management archives from March 2004

In a settlement, seeing change may be what a plaintiff wants instead of money: trend presents challenges but can be good opportunity for settlement.
March 1, 2004... The bottom line for settling malpractice lawsuits long has been what numbers to put after the dollar sign. But that is changing fast. Where plaintiffs once focused entirely on the settlement amount, even when they had heartfelt grievances,...

A plaintiff who wanted more than just money.
March 1, 2004... When two medical tragedies struck Susan Sheridan's family in Eagle, ID, one of her responses was typical and, most would say, entirely justified. She contacted an attorney and sued the health care providers for malpractice. But Sheridan took a...

HIPAA compliance requires strong focus on documents.
March 1, 2004... Nearly every document that makes any mention of a patient in your facility can be considered protected health information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), says Veronica A. Marsich, JD, a shareholder...

Tips for ensuring you're in compliance with HIPAA.
March 1, 2004... These tips for complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are offered by Veronica A. Marsich, JD, a shareholder with the law firm of Smith Haughey in East Lansing, MI: * Review your HIPAA authorization...

Patient dies following peritonsillar surgery, and an $865,000 verdict is returned.
March 1, 2004... News: A young man went to an emergency department (ED) in the afternoon complaining of discomfort in his throat. Surgery was performed to address an abscess. That evening, after his family had gone home, he suffered from cardiac arrhythmia,...

Failure to monitor airway leads to Maryland death.
March 1, 2004... News: A post-kidney transplant patient was admitted to a hospital with urosepsis and was placed in the intensive care unit. He was intubated; but when his airway became obstructed, efforts to correct the situation were unsuccessful, and he...

Reducing restraint by 99% brings less staff turnover.
March 1, 2004... Health care providers have been working to reduce the use of restraint for years, and risk managers have looked to the possibility of fewer injuries and lawsuits as a result. A behavioral health care center in Mississippi is proving that a...

Hospital improves error prevention with automation.
March 1, 2004... A California hospital recently saw a 250% improvement in preventing medical errors related to medications after introducing pharmacy automation. Hospital leaders say the use of bar coding and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) has...

Capped malpractice awards lead to lower premiums.
March 1, 2004... Medical malpractice insurance premiums are 17.1% lower in states that have capped court awards, although the lack of such tort reform measures in other states does not fully explain recent jumps in what physicians pay to cover the cost of...

Let employee health handle falls to help reduce the risk. (Reader Question.
March 1, 2004... Question: When employees are injured in falls in our facility, should we send them to the emergency department (ED) or the employee health clinic? Serious injuries go straight to the ED, of course, but we've been playing it safe by sending some...

Hospital to pay $9.5 million for Medicare billing issues.(Reader Question)
March 1, 2004... A hospital in Greenville, SC, will pay nearly $9.5 on to resolve Medicare billing improprieties from 1997 through 1999 in its home health, hospice, and durable medical equipment programs, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced...

CE questions.
March 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...