Hospital Management
RSSArticles
-
State Laws on PHI Require Careful Consideration
Complying with HIPAA requirements on patient privacy may be difficult sometimes, but it is not enough. State laws also apply — and they may come with different requirements.
-
Information Blocking Still Happening After Cures Act
Information blocking is a threat to patient safety, but it still occurs regularly, despite the penalties for noncompliance laid out by the 21st Century Cures Act. Recently, the HHS Office of Inspector General announced its final rule establishing penalties of up to $1 million for any entities that block the flow of necessary health data.
-
Ransomware Attack Can Affect Hospitals Nearby, Create Havoc
If one’s response to a hospital in the community fighting a ransomware attack is only relief that it was not their facility, they could be in for a surprise. Even hospitals not hit by hackers can feel the ripple effect and suffer consequences.
-
Peer Review Protection Varies by State — and Could Be in Jeopardy
Risk managers and clinicians depend on the ability to investigate adverse outcomes or errors without fear their words will be used against them in court, most notably in morbidity and mortality conferences and peer review sessions. The degree of protection varies from state to state — and there is some concern this privilege has been eroded.
-
Ethicists Are Finding Ways to Meet Needs of Rural Clinicians
For many smaller hospitals or health systems, it is simply impractical to hire an ethicist. The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative pools the resources of smaller hospitals. Meetings target areas in which expertise may be lacking at each hospital, including clinical ethics.
-
Many Ethical Considerations if Surgeons Record Procedures
Ideally, the surgical team uses the recordings in conjunction with quality improvement and risk management to assess efficiency, professionalism, communication, and leadership. The ethics of video recording should be integrated into graduate and continuous education modules.
-
Initiative Raises Organ Referral Rates, Expands Donor List and Transplanted Organ Supply
An individual’s organ donation wishes should be part of their holistic care plan. Ethicists could provide education to clinicians on this point. A culture of trust between the patient community, clinical care providers, the transplant program, and the organ procurement organization is necessary. This takes years to build — and one bad case to break.
-
Ethicists Often Called to Resolve Conflicts Over Aggressive Care
Quality, compassionate communication with families is critical to prevent further escalation of conflict and to preserve trust in the therapeutic relationship.
-
High-Intensity End-of-Life Care Remains the Default at Hospitals
Ethicists can help by assisting in developing hospital policies and crafting ethics committees in a way that does not pose unnecessary bureaucratic challenges or prevent physicians from acting in the patient’s best interest.
-
Improving Mental and Behavioral Health Among Young Patients
Three national organizations offer recommendations for managing children, adolescents, and young adults in medical facilities and in their communities.