Hospital Management
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Many Ethics Services Need Better Information on Volume
Researchers found inconsistencies in the way ethics consult volume was reported, which made estimates of growth over time inaccurate. These investigators created a methodology to allow many more factors to be weighed, which could lead to a more accurate estimate of how many consults ethics services should be performing.
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Lack of Ethical Leadership Can Be Source of Moral Distress
Ethical leadership requires perspectives of all stakeholders be considered. If managers do not actively encourage staff to offer input, people are going to be reluctant or unwilling to voice concerns.
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Race Disparities Identified in End-of-Life Care
Minority patients receive more aggressive end-of-life interventions than white patients, according to the authors of a recent study. The answer has to do, in part, with the history of maltreatment of vulnerable populations. Some minority patients, or their family members, have been the recipients of substandard medical care.
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The Wide Variability in Ethics Consult Mandates
Only half of hospitals have put any policies in place mandating ethics consults in certain situations, according to a recent analysis. These policies share few common features.
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Incorrect Intubation Results in Brain Damage, $16 Million Award
This case presents a rare occasion where a defendant care provider — a federally funded hospital — acknowledges and stipulates to liability, rather than challenging liability in the first instance. It is a rare occasion, but not without a logical explanation.
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Appellate Court Affirms $10.3 Million Verdict in Cerebral Palsy Birth Suit
This case revealed multiple important issues on appeal relevant to medical malpractice cases generally. These issues can be divided into three general groups: issues about causation, issues about periodic payment, and issues about the exclusion of witnesses.
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Evidence of Race Disparities in ED Could Support Negligence Claims
If plaintiffs allege they received poor care in an emergency department (ED) because of their race, there is plenty of potentially admissible research that demonstrates it is indeed possible. People of Black or Latin American descent coming to the ED with cardiac symptoms were less likely to be admitted to specialized cardiology units than white patients, according to the authors of a study.
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Focus on Individual Risks to Reduce Patient Falls
Fall prevention is a constant concern for hospitals and health systems, with great costs involved. It is important not to get stuck in the same old way of thinking when it comes to protecting patients. Take the time to re-evaluate your fall prevention program and look for new opportunities to improve this key aspect of patient safety.
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Common Safeguards Identified in OIG Responses
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has evaluated several proposed arrangements related to COVID-19 and identified safeguards that pose a low risk of fraud and abuse. Through several responses to proposed arrangements, OIG identified safeguards applicable to most situations that will make remuneration safe from enforcement under anti-kickback and civil monetary penalty rules.
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DOJ, OIG Changing Enforcement Policies for COVID-19 Era
The federal government’s fraud and abuse enforcement priorities are shifting in response to COVID-19. Risk managers should be ready to adapt their compliance programs in response to the changing risks.