Healthcare Risk Management – May 1, 2007
May 1, 2007
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Infant abduction raises questions about health care security and vigilance
The community of Lubbock, TX, was shocked last year when a newborn baby was stolen from its mother, who had come to trust the accused kidnapper because she appeared to be on staff at the hospital. -
ID badges are key, staff must question everyone
No matter what other valid, necessary precautions you have in place, the effort to thwart infant abduction all centers on limiting access by people who shouldn't be on the newborn unit. -
Stats show methods, profile of abductors
Infant abductions happen with enough regularity that the compiled statistics paint a clear picture of how the perpetrators typically commit the act and who they are. -
Center offers free help on site to stop abductions
If you're serious about assessing security and taking the right steps to thwart infant abductions, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria, VA, offers direct assistance. -
Legal waivers under fire, have limited use
Local attorneys are criticizing a Pennsylvania hospital's use of a medical waiver that asks patients to sign away their right to a jury trial in the event of malpractice. -
Hospital, surgeon under fire after transplant death
Controversy has interrupted after an attempted organ transplant at a California hospital, with several groups investigating whether a doctor attempted to hasten a patient's death so that his organs could be harvested. -
Joint Commission warns on consent, literacy
The informed consent process is a linchpin of health care risk management, but even the most earnest efforts to fully detail the risks of treatment can be for naught if the patient simply can't understand what you're saying or what is written. -
Legal Review and Commentary: Stent malfunction leads to $35,000 settlement with manufacturer, confidential settlement with hospital
During a routine visit to her primary care physician, a patient had abnormal EKG results and was sent to the emergency department. -
Legal Review and Commentary: Medication error results in brain injury, heart failure
A patient with pre-existing Addison's disease was admitted for the treatment and care of a fractured humerus. When the admitting physician tried to order hydrocortisone for the patient, the pharmacist erroneously transcribed the order as hydrochlorothiazide.