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Doctors went on strike recently in several states to protest the malpractice crisis, as President Bush called for significant malpractice reform that would cap damages and rein in the trial attorneys blamed for much of the problem. Californias Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA) could be the solution, some say.
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In a recent lawsuit, a woman accused her doctor of branding his alma maters initials on her uterus during surgery. A legal expert says the crux for risk managers is how the videotape of the surgery both caused the lawsuit and might end it in the doctors favor.
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The most seriously ill children are more likely than other youngsters in the hospital to experience drug mistakes, according to new research released at the same time as new guidelines on how to avoid such errors with children.
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This is the first in a series of periodic columns that will address specific questions related to implementation of HIPAA.
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If you dont comply with HIPAA privacy regulations, you may face civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each requirement violated, and criminal penalties of up to $50,000 and one year in prison for obtaining or disclosing protected health information.
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The lack of a final HIPAA security regulation means that your organization doesnt have to provide security for your patient data, right? Wrong, according to a new handbook published by URAC. Your organization already has to protect patient data under HIPAA privacy rule, the book points out.
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News: A 59-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for elective angioplasty. Ten hours after surgery, he experienced a severe adverse reaction to anti-clotting medication and suffered intracranial bleeding. He had a seizure, went into a coma, and died one week later. The patients estate brought suit against the cardiologist and the hospital for negligence. While the doctor was exonerated, the hospital was found liable, and the jury awarded the plaintiff $830,000 in damages, which included $100,000 for the widows loss-of-consortium claim.
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Fee-based on-line consultations come with additional risks, according to the eRisk Working Group on Healthcare, a consortium of professional liability carriers, medical societies and state board representatives.
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The SCPIE Companies, an insurer in Los Angeles, recently offered its own advice on reducing the risk of e-mail communication in health care.
