Healthcare Risk Management
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Problem of wrong-site surgery and retained objects won’t go away
Wrong-site surgery errors persist even after years of concerted efforts to avoid them, and some of the standard prevention policies and procedures might not be effective enough. Some hospitals are finding other ways to prevent this never event and other errors.
Black boxes are similar to birth videos and other taped recordings
The data from surgical “black boxes” would revive liability concerns that previously arose from patients recording childbirth and the practice of surgeons giving patients a video of their procedure to take home, legal experts say.
The Surgical Black Box is Here
There's growing interest in using systems during surgery to record a wealth of information, such as data from medical devices.
Clarification
In the August issue of Legal Review & Commentary, in the story “Failure to update a patient’s EHRs leads to $35.4 million verdict against hospital,” we should have said that the plaintiff’s brain abnormalities required her treating physician to record her condition on a paper Problem List.
Physician not following through on proposed plan costs hospital $4.8 million
An adult female went into the hospital for a consultation regarding surgery on her bowel. Upon examination and confirmation the woman was suffering from a leaky bowel, the surgeon recommended a laparoscopic ileocecectomy, which is a less invasive form of surgery using small incisions, special instruments, and cameras.
Failure to transfer patient to a qualified facility results in $23 million jury verdict
In 2010, an infant was born prematurely and with a severe white matter brain injury known as severe cystic periventricular leukomalacia, which is a brain issue that will lead to a lifetime of complications. Earlier that same year, the mother of the child went to her obstetrician for routine tests, which revealed she had high blood pressure and protein in her urine.
Research confirms ‘weekend effect’ on patient safety
Researchers from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, say more research is needed to understand why patients are more likely to die in the hospital on the weekend.
UCLA Health targeted in cyber attack
The UCLA Health system in Los Angeles was the victim of a cyber attack involving the personal data of 4.5 million people recently, and it is facing two class-action lawsuits from those affected.
Work hour restrictions not improving safety
Work hour restrictions for resident physicians, revised nationally four years ago largely to protect patients against physician trainees’ fatigue-related errors, have not had the desired effect of lowering postoperative complication rates in several common surgical specialties, according to new study results.
Sleep apnea can pose malpractice risk in surgery
Surgical malpractice cases are increasingly citing obstructive sleep apnea OSA as a factor in the patient injury, according to a new study.