Hospital
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Expert’s Inadequate Testimony Leads to Dismissal of Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Although the facts of the case seem to indicate the physician acted within the accepted standard of care, the outcome may have been different had the patient selected a more experienced, better-suited expert and presented his claim with more specificity.
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Birth Injury Litigation Results in $7.5 Million Settlement
This case raises a few lessons for physicians and care providers: whether the physicians failed to preserve and test either cord blood gases or the placenta, whether the physicians breached the applicable standard of care regarding the use of labor-inducing drugs and failing to monitor the fetus prior to delivery, and whether the physicians failed to ensure employees were aware of and complied with the hospital’s policies and procedures.
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Sparsely Charted History and Physical Complicates Med/Mal Defense
Thorough charting on the history and physical of an ED patient can prove the standard of care was met. Still, the medical record often contains little more than a series of checkboxes.
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Patient Safety Act Affords Protection for Adverse Event Investigations
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 affords substantial protections from discovery for information related to adverse events. Hospital leaders and clinicians often do not fully understand how to use these protections.
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Opioid-Related Claims Show Need for Good Processes
The opioid crisis continues to create increased liability risks for healthcare providers, who must contend with more scrutiny over prescribing and management practices. A review of closed claims indicates hospitals and physicians can improve the way they follow guidelines and processes designed to reduce the risk.
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Peer Review Can Lead to Liability Risks; Preventive Steps Needed
The peer review process can lead to litigation when physicians challenge the validity of disciplinary hearings or are denied privileges. Strict adherence to good processes can reduce the risks.
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10 Things Never to Say to a Patient or Family Member
There are certain things nurses and physicians should never say to a patient or family member because they can lead to an increased risk of liability and dissatisfaction. Risk managers should educate clinicians about these comments to avoid.
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Healthcare Worker Attitudes About Respiratory Protection: It’s Complicated
In an unusual qualitative study, healthcare workers revealed a variety of attitudes about respiratory protection equipment, including motivations and suspicions that could improve or undermine compliance.
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Infectious Disease Update: Are You Looking for ESBLs?
Prevention strategies are necessary to limit transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms in the hospital, especially in high-risk settings. Identification of carriers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms via active surveillance, and contact isolation of positives, has been recommended for certain high-risk groups.
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Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Pediatrics
There are some signs of progress in drug-resistant infections in pediatrics, suggesting that antibiotic stewardship efforts may be having an effect and fewer broad-spectrum agents are being used on this important patient group, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.