Healthcare Risk Management articles from May 2005

Healthcare Risk Management archives from May 2005

lesson of the Terri Schiavo case: Living wills no panacea for end of life.
May 1, 2005... The lesson of the Terri Schiavo case: Living wills no panacea for end of life Dispute was aberrant but it offers lessons for risk managers In the final days of the dispute over whether Terri Schiavo, the 41-year-old, severely...

Brace for more living wills, encourage deeper thought.
May 1, 2005... Brace for more living wills, encourage deeper thought Many agencies and nonprofit organizations that tout living wills are reporting a sharp increase in people seeking the documents because of the Schiavo case, so you can expect more...

Research questions living wills and sees a better way.
May 1, 2005... Research questions living wills and sees a better way Living wills just aren't worth the paper they're printed on, say two experts who have looked at how the documents are really used. The documents may lull risk managers into a false sense...

MN hospital creates a culture of full disclosure.(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
May 1, 2005... MN hospital creates a culture of full disclosure To make full disclosure work, you first have to remember that it is not a "program" or an "effort," or a "policy," says a leader at one hospital that has undergone a major change in way...

Disclosure process starts with an apology, then info.
May 1, 2005... Disclosure process starts with an apology, then info Disclosure is a complex process, not simply an opportunity to sit at the patient's bed side and say you're sorry, says Julie Morath, RN, MS, chief operating officer and vice president of...

CPOE leads to other errors if implemented improperly.
May 1, 2005... CPOE leads to other errors if implemented improperly While computerized physician order entry (CPOE) is expected to significantly reduce medication errors, systems must be implemented thoughtfully to avoid facilitating certain types of...

Mandatory error reporting worries hospital leaders.
May 1, 2005... Mandatory error reporting worries hospital leaders A survey of hospital leaders indicates that many have serious reservations about a mandatory error reporting system, including that it would discourage event reporting and increase the risk...

Coordinating care doesn't have to increase liability.
May 1, 2005... Coordinating care doesn't have to increase liability Conventional wisdom is wrong: Primary care doctors who coordinate the care of their patients by specialists may actually have lower liability risk than primary care doctors who do not...

Reader Question: When alerting to urgent care copay, beware of risk.
May 1, 2005... Reader Question When alerting to urgent care copay, beware of risk Question: We have a freestanding urgent care clinic affiliated with our hospital; but one insurer won't recognize it as an urgent care center, pand those insured...

Legal Review & Commentary: Failure to diagnose perforated bowel results in a $670,000 settlement.
May 1, 2005... Legal Review & Commentary Failure to diagnose perforated bowel results in a $670,000 settlement By Jan J. Gorrie, Esq., and Blake Delaney, Summer Associate Buchanan Ingersoll PC, Tampa, FL News: A woman presented to the ED of...

Legal Review & Commentary: Perforation found during surgery causes settlement.
May 1, 2005... Legal Review & Commentary Perforation found during surgery causes settlement By Jan J. Gorrie, Esq., and Blake Delaney, Summer Associate Buchanan Ingersoll PC, Tampa, FL News: A woman underwent surgery to remove her...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Privacy and security rules affect development of care management and outcomes improvement programs.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert Privacy and security rules affect development of care management and outcomes improvement programs Take all reasonable steps to comply with federal law, expert says Many managed care organizations use care...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Process for administrative simplification complaints.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert Process for administrative simplification complaints In the March 25 Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published procedures for nonprivacy administrative simplification...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Many are unprepared for April 20 security deadline.
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert Many are unprepared for April 20 security deadline Many small physician practices had gaps in three key areas as they attempted to meet the April 20 deadline for HIPAA security standards, according to...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: HHS publishes paper on HIPAA physical safeguards.
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert HHS publishes paper on HIPAA physical safeguards The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published the third in a series of seven papers designed to provide guidance on the HIPAA security standards....

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Group wants changes to privacy rule requirement.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert Group wants changes to privacy rule requirement The Confidentiality Coalition, a group of hospitals, health plans, drug companies, medical device manufacturers, biotech firms, health product distributors,...

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: HIPAA's 'chilling effect' on biomedical research.
May 1, 2005... HIPAA Regulatory Alert HIPAA's 'chilling effect' on biomedical research An editorial in the February issue of the Annals of Epidemiology expresses concern that HIPAA's efforts to enhance patient confidentiality by restricting access...

CE questions.(continuing education)
May 1, 2005... 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 managers in health care. * Explain how...