Healthcare Risk Management – April 1, 2015
April 1, 2015
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Harsh claims as nurse sues hospital where she contracted Ebola
A nurse who contracted Ebola after treating a patient with the disease is suing her hospital. She claims the hospital failed to provide adequate training and protective gear, among several other charges. The nurse says she still suffers physically and mentally from the experience. She alleges that the hospital used her for public relations efforts against her will.
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Ebola lawsuit claims nurse was thrust into danger without proper training
The Kafkaesque story told in the lawsuit filed by nurse Nina Pham features a woman who innocently shows up for work one day and finds herself trapped in a nightmare, betrayed by those she trusted to protect her.
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Nurse: Hospital lied, tricked her for PR benefit
One of the more shocking allegations in the lawsuit nurse Nina Pham filed recently against Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas involves what she says was a deceitful attempt to help bolster the hospital’s public image during a frenzy of media coverage about Ebola.
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Experts warn: Patient passports need review by risk management department
Patient passports are gaining in popularity, but risk managers should consider legal and documentation issues. The patient passport is a document that covers basic patient data. A key question is whether the passport becomes part of the medical record.
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Hospital reduces falls 75% with bundle of strategies
A hospital is reporting a 75% reduction in falls through the use of a performance improvement team. The team uses a “bundle” of strategies to reduce falls.
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Misplaced NG tubes a major patient safety risk
Misplaced nasogastric and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes pose a serious threat to patient safety and a liability risk for hospitals. New technology might improve the detection of misplaced tubes.
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$8.5 million verdict is first for concierge medicine
A Palm Beach County, FL, jury recently returned an $8.5 million malpractice verdict against MDVIP, the nation’s largest concierge medicine practice company, which has 784 affiliated physicians in 41 states. The award is the first against MDVIP, and it is believed to be the first malpractice award against any concierge management firm.
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Huge increase in hacking of computer systems
Hackers are stealing data from providers at an astounding rate, which reflects the fact that information from healthcare records are worth far more on the black market than credit card numbers.
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Med mal reform not lowering healthcare costs
Two papers co-authored by a University of Illinois expert in the regulation and financing of healthcare conclude that tort reform has had relatively little impact on the U.S. healthcare system.
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Failure to diagnose infection causes toddler death and yields verdict of $1.72 million
Plaintiffs’ 3-month-old daughter was taken to the hospital with a high fever and elevated pulse rate. The ED physician diagnosed an ear infection and discharged the infant with a prescription for antibiotics. Days later she was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis, hypoxic brain injury, and hydrocephalus. She lived for 20 more months. Plaintiffs sued the hospital and the ED physician, and they won a verdict of joint and several liability for $1.7 million.
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$21.9 M award in elective steroid injection procedure
A 54-year-old woman suffered from chronic and severe back pain, and she underwent an elective epidural steroid injection. While sedated, the patient’s airway became blocked, which resulted in oxygen deprivation for as long as 10 minutes. Multiple electronic monitors indicated that the patient was not breathing properly, but the physician continued the procedure. Emergency assistance was not called for more than an hour, and the physician failed to report to a subsequent treating hospital that the patient was deprived of oxygen for several minutes. The patient suffered severe brain damage, and she died six years after the procedure from complications related to the brain injury. The jury awarded the widower and estate $21.9 million in damages.