Healthcare Risk Management – June 1, 2003
June 1, 2003
View Issues
-
Cerebral palsy report: It’s no panacea, but it could be major defense in court
A recently issued report will be a boon to defendants in cerebral palsy malpractice cases, but it wont eliminate this brand of high-dollar cases or create an insurmountable burden for plaintiffs attorneys, experts say. -
Cerebral palsy not usually related to birth process
This background on cerebral palsy and summary of the new findings was provided by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. -
Reader Question: EMTALA requires docs to be on call, but not 24/7
Reader question: Does the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) require that our hospitals medical staff be required to provide on-call physician services 24 hours a day and 365 days a year? -
Pelvic exams by students, residents are growing risk
Though it has been common in many health care institutions for decades, the practice of medical students and residents performing pelvic exams on women who have been anesthetized for surgery, without any medical need, and usually without consent is increasingly coming under fire from critics who say it just isnt right. -
OSHA issues ergonomic rules for nursing homes
In a move that will add one more regulatory concern to the risk managers plate, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued the first in a series of industry-specific guidelines for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Its target: nursing homes. -
Reader Feedback: Consent and its role in reprocessed SUDs
I read with interest the article about the study by the Center for Patient Advocacy involving reprocessed single-use devices (SUDs) in the February 2003 issue of Healthcare Risk Management. Included in the article is advice about obtaining informed consent when using these devices. Interesting information, but, there are other perspectives on the issue. -
Legal Review & Commentary: Swarm of fire ants attacks nursing home patient resident: $5.35 million Alabama verdict
One summer evening, fire ants attacked a 79-year-old nursing home patient resident as she lay in her bed. Because of the severe bites, she developed a staphylococcal infection and and the trauma further exacerbated her dementia. -
Legal Review & Commentary: Psychosurgery leads to a $7.5 million verdict in Ohio
For years a woman suffered from an obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she believed would be corrected through psychosurgery. The procedure resulted in complete incapacitation, and she brought suit against the provider.