Healthcare Risk Management – September 1, 2018

September 1, 2018

• Patients Leaving Against Medical Advice Create Liability Risk

  Patients who refuse care and leave against medical advice pose significant liability risks to hospitals and other providers.

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• Defending AMA Cases Costs Average of $400K

  The number of patients who sue after leaving AMA is not clear, and hospitals can prevail when they have proper documentation.

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• Alarm Fatigue Still Serious, Solutions Slow to Come

  Alarm fatigue still is a serious threat to patient safety and years of effort have yielded minimal improvement, experts say.

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• Practice Guidelines Address Alarm Fatigue

  The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recently issued new guidelines for reducing the burden of alarms involving ECG monitoring.

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• Closed Radiology Claims Show Most Common Risks

  Radiology is the second most common source of diagnosis-related malpractice claims, behind general medicine, according to a recent analysis.

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• Beware Exposure if ‘Bouncebacks’ Don’t Return to Same ED

  Most EDs track return visits — cases in which patients come back with new or worsening symptoms. But what if that patient goes to a different ED? Investigators recently examined this question.

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• Canceled HIV Test Results in $18 Million Verdict

  This case demonstrates how clear communications are critical for hospitals and physicians to correctly inform patients of test results, and the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment.

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• Physicians’ Failure to Diagnose Cardiac Condition Not Hospital Negligence

  This case illustrates the importance of providing adequate training for nonmedical personnel in healthcare facilities.

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• Educate Staff on Criminal Prosecution Risk

  Criminal prosecutions for HIPAA violations appear to be increasing, putting both individuals and healthcare organizations at risk for more than just monetary penalties and regulatory burdens.

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• Federal Court Affirms No Private Right of Action

  A federal judge recently affirmed that HIPAA does not provide a mechanism for individuals to sue when they believe their privacy rights have been violated.

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