Articles Tagged With:
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Undetected Medical Conditions in ‘Psych’ Patients Are Legal Landmine
Once EPs conclude that a patient’s behavior is psychiatric, they may miss underlying medical conditions that are the real cause of the symptoms. This is less likely if a patient is behaving bizarrely, presents with a psychiatric history, and is taking psychiatric medications. Experts recommend obtaining a good history before deciding a patient is psychiatric.
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Good Documentation of ED Consult Makes It Clear EP Met Standard of Care
To avoid needless legal entanglements, experts say EPs should know when they’re in over their heads and remain firm about what they need from a consultant. Invariably, specialists testify that while the EP asked for their opinion, the EP never asked or insisted that the specialist come in — and that had the severity of the situation been explained, the specialist certainly would have come to the ED.
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Legal Exposure for ED and Hospital if Patients Refuse Discharge
Some patients may choose to remain in the ED against medical advice for several social reasons, including the fact the patient has no home, or views a hospital room as safer, more comfortable, or less lonely than going home.
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Survey: More Than Half of EPs Sued for Malpractice at Least Once
Fifty-one percent of EPs have been sued during their career, according to a recent report on medical liability claims frequency, the third highest percentage of all the specialties examined by the study’s authors.
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Many ED Visits Documented on Cellphones
Whether such recordings are admissible in court depends on many different factors.
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Sickle Cell Emergencies
This article provides an overview of the most frequently encountered complications associated with sickle cell disease seen in the emergency department. It will discuss recent guidelines and novel approaches to the treatment of entities such as acute chest syndrome, vaso-occlusive crisis, and stroke, as well as new treatments on the horizon.
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Legal Case Shows Risk of Improper Patient Info Disclosure
An ongoing legal case illustrates the risk healthcare providers face when they do not properly safeguard patient data and make it available to third parties without consent, even when complying with a subpoena.
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OCR Concerned About HIPAA Contingency Plans
Developing a good HIPAA contingency plan is critical to ensuring a facility can access data during a disaster or cyberattack, and it also is required for HIPAA compliance. Creating that plan may require more assessment and planning than one might imagine, and it’s the kind of thing that can be lacking in an otherwise good HIPAA program.
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Make Great First Impression on Patients
Registrars are one of the first people visitors encounter in the ED or admitting department. Maintaining a positive demeanor while delivering care is essential.
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Patient Access Needs Conflict Resolution Skill Set
Conflict management is an essential skill for anyone who works in patient access, in light of angry patients, frustrated clinicians, and sometimes even trouble-making colleagues.