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Spoliation Instruction Is Major Risk to Avoid
When dealing with video that might be used in a malpractice or premises liability case, the risk of spoliation arises when the owner of the evidence knows it could be relevant to the case and destroys it anyway. When that happens, the court may order the jury to assume that whatever was on the video was damaging to the party that destroyed it. -
Surveillance Video Can Make or Break Med Mal Defense
Video surveillance data can be either helpful or harmful in defending a malpractice claim. Healthcare organizations should strictly adhere to their policies on the preservation of video. -
Post-COVID Could Bring Surge in Med Mal Cases
The COVID-19 pandemic still has many hospitals and healthcare facilities straining to maintain anything like normal operations. But that pressure will eventually ease, and more patients will return for routine care and elective surgeries. Some risk managers and healthcare leaders worry this will prompt an increase in medical malpractice cases. -
Contemplating the Next Pandemic
We have heard much about the inevitable “next pandemic” as viruses move and mutate through animals until they become infectious in humans. An example of this was published recently, revealing how an avian flu virus caused fatal infections in swans, seals, and a fox, a “terrestrial mammal” not usually vulnerable to such a virus.
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The Return of Flu: Signs Point to Possible Severe Season
A possible severe influenza season is on the horizon, in part because COVID-19 shutdowns and precautions led to a historically low flu season in 2019-2020, said Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Booster Option for HCWs Approved as CDC Overrules Advisory Panel
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, is defending her decision to overrule her own vaccine advisory committee after they voted against giving COVID-19 booster shots to healthcare workers, teachers, and other essential workers at occupational risk of infections.
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Delta Variant Spreads Exponentially in United States with Millions Unvaccinated
The delta variant of COVID-19 has spread exponentially in the United States, with 96% of counties reporting high (90%) or substantial (6%) transmission as of Oct. 8, 2021.
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Protocols for Scarce Resources Draw on Ethical Principles, Empirical Data
The combination of ethical principles and empirical data is critical. The protocol is not derived only from ethical principles. The empiricist developing the protocol must understand the ethics.
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IRBs Face Unique Ethical Questions About Disaster Research
IRBs must consider the value of the research to advance science and reduce suffering. At the same time, IRBs must consider the potential for harm based on the unique vulnerabilities of disaster survivors in the aftermath.
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The Earlier, the Better for Formal Ethics Training
For physicians anticipating prolonged post-graduate training, a key advantage of this program is it happens concurrently with the medical school curriculum.