Healthcare Risk Management
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Active Shooter Risks Require Prevention, Response Plans
Active shooters can threaten people in virtually any place or situation, but healthcare facilities may be uniquely at risk because they are open to the public and frequently experience violence from patients and others. Hospitals and other facilities should create an active shooter program that reduces the risk as much as possible and includes a response plan.
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Appellate Court Affirms $806k Verdict for Failure to Treat Psychotic Symptoms, Suicide Attempt
Important substantive and procedural lessons can be learned from this case. First and foremost, the jury’s significant award was based on the defendant’s failure to provide treatment.
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Technology Helps with Active Shooter Prevention and Response
Technological options may help reduce the risk from active shooters. Technology is available to monitor people and predict dangerous behavior, and it can help during the incident response.
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Say What You Mean: Imprecise Language Can Lead to Medical Errors
Imprecise language during surgery can threaten patient safety. Research indicates comments and instructions during surgery often are subject to misunderstanding.
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Wrong-Site Surgery Still a Problem, Requires Vigilance
Despite many years of intense education and attention to prevention efforts, wrong-site surgery is on the rise. Hospitals and health systems must make sure their wrong-site prevention efforts have not weakened.
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Better Recruitment Can Improve Safety During Staff Shortages
As staff shortages threaten patient safety, hospitals and health systems are eager to bring more clinicians on board. But this is becoming harder, especially for the most desired candidates. Improving the application and hiring process can improve patient safety.
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OIG Issues Alert on Telemedicine Fraud
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently issued a Special Fraud Alert on arrangements with telemedicine companies, describing seven characteristics that could suggest a risk of fraud and abuse.
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No Liability for Telemedicine Company or Hospital Over Stroke Treatment
This case confirms the importance of timely treatment and how providers can defend against claims of failure to provide such treatment. Frequently, a patient’s condition requires time-sensitive treatment, and the failure to do so may constitute medical malpractice if a similar physician under such circumstances would provide that timely care.
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Leapfrog Group Addresses Diagnostic Errors with 29 Best Practices
A new report includes 29 actions hospitals can implement to reduce the risk of patient harm or death from diagnostic errors. The Leapfrog Group recently released what it calls a landmark report, Recognizing Excellence in Diagnosis: Recommended Practices for Hospitals. It was derived from a year of research with clinicians, health plans, and employers.
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New Checklist Offers Roadmap for Improved Diagnostic Performance
Emergency clinicians spend much time making diagnoses, but knowing they are right is another matter. The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine reports missed or delayed diagnoses are a major public health problem, leading to higher costs, malpractice claims, and potentially adverse outcomes for patients.