-
-
(This is the first part of a two-part series on avoiding liability with documentation, see story, below. This month, we discuss the case of a surgeon who was charged and jailed regarding mistakes he made in the medical record that did not impact billing. Next month, well cover the specific lessons that can be learned from the case.)
-
-
The most common scenario in malpractice lawsuits involving frequent ED patients is failure to adequately diagnose, treat, and stabilize an emergent medical condition, says John Burton, MD, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA.
-
Even if a patient with a suspected stroke meets the criteria for tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), emergency physicians (EPs) are sometimes reluctant to administer it without having a neurologist evaluate the patient, says Joseph Shiber, MD, FACEP, FACP, FCCM, associate professor of emergency medicine and critical care at University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville.
-
After a patient on a psychiatric hold managed to escape restraints, he ran out of the emergency department (ED) and was hit by a truck.
-
-
Since ancient times, caring for alcohol-intoxicated patients in the emergency department has always been troubling and risky for emergency physicians and hospital staff. In a high-profile case in New York, the state's highest court essentially held that physicians and hospitals are not thy intoxicated brother's keeper.
-
Malpractice claims alleging missed or delayed diagnosis of sepsis, in which a patient is initially brought to the emergency department (ED) and ultimately dies or suffers a highly adverse outcome, can rarely be traced to a single mistake, according to Damian D. Capozzola, JD, of The Law Offices of Damian D. Capozzola in Los Angeles, CA.
-
An unprecedented, state-wide effort aimed at curbing non-essential use of the ED by Medicaid recipients appears to be making an impact in Washington state.