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Physician practices considering going back to paper claims as a way of coping with the Oct. 16 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services deadline for transactions and code sets should resist the temptation, according to John Thomas, CEO of Dallas-based MedSynergies.
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A survey by Dallas-based ZixCorp, a global provider of e-messaging management and protection services, indicates that many leading health care organizations are transmitting e-mail messages containing federally protected health information over public networks without using appropriate safeguards.
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As the Oct. 16 deadline for covered entities to comply with HIPAAs electronic code set and transaction provisions approaches, organizations should be intensifying their efforts toward achieving compliance, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
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A patient with stab wounds to the abdomen was taken to an emergency department. He was admitted, and a series of tests were ordered. Once on the floor, his condition deteriorated rapidly. His father came to visit and found his son in a wheelchair at the nurses station. After inquiring as to his condition, the son suffered cardiopulmonary arrest and died in front of the nurses station. The estate brought suit against the hospital and attending surgeon. Both settled prior to trial for a combined $850,000
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The new protocol for preventing wrong-site surgery is likely to be considered the standard of care immediately and plaintiffs attorneys will use it against you in court, says a prominent trial attorney. Risk managers should act quickly to implement the protocol now and not wait for the protocols deadline, the attorney adds.
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A San Francisco insurer is offering health care providers what it says may be a first in underwriting a professional liability insurance policy specifically geared toward electronic-based and web-enabled transactions for health care operations.
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says HIPAA privacy regulations dont negate requirements under the Social Security Act that the results of the most recent nursing home survey must be made available to the public.
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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the National Committee for Quality Assurance have started a new Privacy Certification Program for Business Associates to assess whether organizations designated as business associates under HIPAA are meeting essential requirements for safeguarding personally identifiable health information.
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A 17-year-old female was admitted to a hospital to undergo a breast reduction procedure. While recovering from surgery she received an overdose of morphine, which killed her. The case against the hospital was settled prior to trial for $400,000.
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As part of our falls prevention program, were considering more exercise programs for patients at risk for falls, to help them develop stability and balance. But weve heard some concerns that the at-risk patient is better off in bed instead of doing something that could result in a fall. What should we do?