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With all the concerns lately about the economy, health care risk managers at least can take some solace in knowing that their median income is holding steady with indications for upward movement.
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As Healthcare Risk Management enters 2009, we celebrate 30 years of serving health care risk managers across the country. It has been an eventful three decades, with many changes in technology, philosophy, and strategies.
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The health care industry is awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Wyeth v. Levine, a case that could determine the future of drug labeling and potential liability for providers who don't follow those instructions to the letter.
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A ruling in favor of the plaintiff could threaten the authority of the FDA by giving more power to state courts, says Maureen Martin, JD, senior fellow for legal affairs with The Heartland Institute in Chicago. She says the case could lead to a wholesale expansion of state regulation in other areas of law for any industry subject to intensive federal regulation. If that happens, the FDA will become ineffective, she predicts.
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With The Joint Commission's recent announcement that rude language and hostile behavior pose serious threats to patient safety and quality of care, risk managers are on high alert for disruptive behavior and searching for ways to combat it.
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A first-of-its-kind survey of physicians by the Massachusetts Medical Society on the practice of "defensive medicine" - tests, procedures, referrals, hospitalizations, or prescriptions ordered by physicians out of fear of being sued - has shown that the practice is widespread and adds billions of dollars to the cost of health care in that state alone.
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The implementation of an online order entry system at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor has produced a 29% reduction in medication errors while at the same time cutting by 40% the time between ordering and administering urgent medications.
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Suppose your needlesticks rose this year compared to last year. That doesn't sound so good. Clearly things are not going in the right direction. But you need more information to understand what's happening - a benchmark for your needlesticks.
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You can't stop needlesticks just by buying a safety device. Preventing sharps injuries requires a sustained commitment to device selection and training.
