As a valued Relias Media subscriber, you can find the latest issue of your publication online. The articles below provide timely strategies and research for healthcare providers:
Crisis management after a significant clinical event or other issue can thrust the risk manager into a sink-or-swim situation. A proper response can minimize the negative effect and a poor response can greatly magnify the fallout. Managing such an event requires preparation up front so an action plan can be activated when needed.
When something has gone wrong and your hospital or health system is under scrutiny, it may seem the simplest response is to say nothing. But that can be a huge mistake, because “no comment” never looks good.
Patient safety will be the primary concern for risk managers in 2020 as government regulators and accrediting bodies continue to raise their expectations in this area for healthcare organizations, several experts predict.
Workplace violence occurs at rates more than four times higher than in other industries. Patients and family are under stress, and often take it out on the physicians, nurses, and other employees. Any solution must begin with collecting data on how violent incidents occur, including near misses.
With cybersecurity, one of the biggest patient safety threats is ransomware. Ransomware attacks have become easier to launch, and attackers increasingly are targeting smaller healthcare organizations where cyberdefenses may be less sophisticated and employees less savvy about how to spot threats.
This case reveals lessons in substance and legal procedure, as the defendant hospital and physicians successfully defeated the medical malpractice claim in multiple forums and prior to the need for a jury.
A motion for summary judgment was inappropriate here because of the expert’s substantive affidavit. This expert provided more than a simple declaration stating that the expert was retained and would eventually opine; this expert, who was appropriately qualified, offered a specific opinion on issues of the standard of care, delays in diagnosing and treatment, and deviations of the standard of care.
Financial Disclosure: Author Greg Freeman, Editor Jill Drachenberg, Editor Jonathan Springston, Editorial Group Manager Leslie Coplin, Accreditations Manager Amy Johnson, MSN, RN, CPN, and Nurse Planner Maureen Archambault report no consultant, stockholder, speaker’s bureau, research, or other financial relationships with companies having ties to this field of study. Consulting Editor Arnold Mackles, MD, MBA, LHRM, discloses that he is an author and advisory board member for The Sullivan Group and that he is owner, stockholder, presenter, author, and consultant for Innovative Healthcare Compliance Group.
