Hospital Management
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Price Shoppers Want Information, But Some Kindness Doesn’t Hurt, Either
When patients call, it is not just a dollar amount that is at stake. It is a chance for patient access to give a good first impression of the hospital and ease fears about upcoming care.
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Patient Access Staff Also at Risk for Burnout
Some red flags include increasing use of leaves and absenteeism and more complaints to management. It is up to leaders find creative ways to help registrars de-stress.
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Diagnostic Errors Continue, Technology Part of Solution
Diagnostic errors continue to plague the healthcare system, but some progress is happening thanks to technology that can reduce the chance of an error reaching the patient and causing harm. Optimal results may require a more deliberate training program for those using the technology.
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Insulin Pen Project Improves Patient Safety with EMR Modification
Staff at a Maryland hospital discovered a patient safety issue with insulin pens that was traced to the electronic medical record’s (EMR) inability to generate patient-specific labels efficiently. A root cause analysis revealed the process gaps, and staff developed a solution that ensures patients receive insulin doses only from their own pens.
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Be Serious About Promoting Successes
Quality improvement professionals put a great deal of work in improving quality of care and patient safety, with projects both grand in scale and small but significant. But once an organization achieves success, how do leaders make sure the right people know about it?
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Layers of Legal Protections for Peer Review Committees
A hospital’s executive and officers liability insurance usually will apply to peer review committee members. There also are protections under federal law providing immunity for participation, particularly the Healthcare Quality Improvement Act. There are state-level statutes to provide immunity, although those laws vary widely.
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Best Practices for Recruiting Peer Review Committee Members
Well-run peer review committees are essential to maintaining high-quality performance for physicians and nurses, but recruiting for those committees can be challenging. Physicians and nurses may resist the time commitment or fear legal and professional repercussions from passing judgment on their peers. Those fears can be dispelled by educating physicians and nurses about the peer review process. Savvy recruiting techniques can help create effective peer review committees.
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Finger-Pointing in Nurse Charting Is Opportunity for Plaintiff
Emergency nurses and physicians may not understand the liability implications of using charts to air grievances. A unified defense is recognized as the best approach for all defendants in ED malpractice claims, but finger-pointing notes make it difficult. Physicians and nurses should meet briefly before each shift to discuss the importance of teamwork, not only regarding patient care but also documentation.
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Documentation Can Determine Outcome of Missed Myocardial Infarction Lawsuit
Some charts might indicate there was chest pain and an abnormal ECG, but the patient was discharged with no explanation. Plaintiffs can use this to make a case the emergency physician missed classic presentation of myocardial infarction. Counter this allegation with specific documentation outlined here.
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Controversial ‘Public Charge’ Rule Under Further Review
Scrutiny on DHS policy that targeted immigrants using government benefits such as Medicaid.