-
Even under the best of circumstances, implementing an electronic health record system is difficult, costly, time-consuming, and fraught with unintended adverse consequences
-
A new report from Public Citizen claims that the imposition of medical liability caps in Texas in 2003 has not reduced medical costs or curbed the ordering of expensive diagnostic tests, and instead, healthcare is less available and has become more expensive compared to national averages.
-
Memorial Health System in Springfield, IL, provides this statement regarding the physician who claims he was placed on leave for failing to adequately adapt to the system's new electronic medical record (EMR):
-
An 85-year-old woman underwent surgery for an aortofemoral bypass at a local medical center in 2004. In the four years following the surgery, the patient suffered from periodic severe abdominal and back pain, a foul odor coming from her body, weakness, lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of appetite, and nausea.
-
A physician complained to the chief of staff and hospital management that surgical equipment is not being sterilized properly and a patient died as a result. In another case, two doctors reported overcrowding in the emergency department that compromised patient care. In another, the physician reported an unlicensed therapy program.
-
The continuing adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) might result in increased malpractice liability risk and higher insurance premiums, according to a new report from a health IT research firm.
-
A 45-year-old woman underwent surgery at a local university hospital to remove a cyst on her ovary. During the operation, surgeons found dense adhesions, and the patient experienced increased pain and pressure in her abdomen following surgery. By the time the medical staff diagnosed her with a perforated bowel, the patient was in critical medical condition due to sepsis.
-
Violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are a growing focus for whistleblowers, says Tammy Marzigliano, JD, partner with the law firm of Outten & Golden in New York City.
-
Poorly designed, hard-to-use electronic medical records (EMRs) are a threat to patient safety, according to a new federal study that also calls for an independent agency to investigate injuries and deaths linked to health information technology.
-
Even though electronic medical records (EMRs) are here to stay, there always will be a percentage of physicians who are resistant to using a system and don't want to change, says Stephen Martinez, PhD, CEO of MTS Healthcare, a company in Pasadena, CA, that implements EMRs for hospitals, medical groups, and other healthcare organizations.