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These are some key findings from the Second Annual Benchmark Study on Patient Privacy & Data Security released recently by The Ponemon Institute in Traverse City, MI.:
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The risk manager at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles declined to be interviewed about the incident in which a temporary employee posted patient information on Facebook, but the parent company, Providence Health & Services, provided this statement:
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No one wants to sit through another boring education video, so Long Beach (CA) Memorial Medical Center decided to lighten things up with their fall prevention video.
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Driven by concerns about the many risks social media poses, the healthcare industry has been slower than others in adopting social media. However, the rate of adoption has increased in the past two to three years. As of October 2011, more than 1,000 hospitals have recognized the benefits in improved community outreach and are actively using social networking tools, according to ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit in Plymouth Meeting, PA, that researches approaches to improving patient care.
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A patient with a history of pregnancy-induced preeclampsia was admitted to the hospital for the delivery of her fourth child. After delivering her child via caesarean section, her physician ordered close monitoring of bleeding, blood pressure, and heart rate. Despite a falling heart rate, rising pulse, and lack of urine output, all classic signs of blood loss shock, a physician was not contacted for several hours.
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Hospital incident reporting systems captured only an estimated 14% of the patient harm events experienced by Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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All manner of electronic devices are common in any healthcare setting, and individuals increasingly are likely to use their own smart phones, tablets, and other personal electronics while at work. The proliferation of electronics is leading some patient safety experts to worry that patient safety might be threatened by "distracted doctoring."
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Research from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, documents that heart bypass technicians admit to using their cell phones during surgery, but they also contend that the practice is unsafe.
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Finding a new way to educate employees about fall prevention is a big challenge because, though the topic is important, it can be hard to keep people's attention. One hospital found that an educational video starring its own employees and presented with a bit of humor effectively delivers the necessary information.
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With growing attention to the threat of privacy breaches through social media, some healthcare organizations are utilizing "user activity monitoring" to help ensure compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
