The Electronic Health Record: No Panacea for Risk
October 17, 2016
“By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care.” — President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 20, 2004 The move towards the electronic health record (EHR) has been under way for more than a decade now. Hospital administrators, healthcare insurers, IT vendors and government officials…Read More
Using Physician Engagement to Improve Hospital Profitability
October 10, 2016
It appeared to be a typical, run-of-the-mill board meeting at Hospital System “X.” Patient admissions had been slowly on the rise; healthcare teams seemed to be handling the increasing demand for services as the hospital facility continued to display an inviting appearance. Early in the meeting, the hospital CFO presented the data requested by board…Read More
Cognitive Bias: The Near-Miss Case of “Lazy Boy”
October 3, 2016
Many diagnostic errors involve some degree of cognitive bias or errors; here is an actual case that illustrates this point. Case Presentation L.B. is a 46-year-old man with onset of illness 12 days prior that started with cold symptoms, sore throat, rhinorrhea, cough, and fever up to 100.7°F (38.1°C). Since then, he has been getting…Read More
The ABCs of Risk Management
September 26, 2016
One of our goals at The Sullivan Group is to bring you practical pearls to reduce risk, improve patient safety, and enhance quality in your everyday practice. To that end I thought I would share with you this “alphabet soup” of risk management and patient safety tips assembled from years of observation and experience. Abdomens…Read More
The Year in Review: Important Developments in Case Law
September 19, 2016
There have been some interesting, and some frightening, developments in case law relating to healthcare risk management since the last annual meeting of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). While these cases may not have national importance (yet), they have concerning implications for healthcare. In Southern Baptist Hospital of Florida, Inc. v. Charles,¹…Read More
Case: Failure to Diagnose Spinal Epidural Abscess
August 29, 2016
Failure to diagnose is the most common medical error in the practice of emergency, urgent care and primary care medicine. Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose, but there are common threads among failure to diagnose spinal epidural abscess cases. This case is presented to provide perspective and to increase our vigilance for catching this disabling and possibly even fatal diagnosis.
Necrotizing Fasciitis is Still Lurking Out There
August 8, 2016
The uncommon but lethal infection known as necrotizing fasciitis continues to be in the news. This is a devastating disease that can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages. The first presentation is often nothing more than arm or leg pain that looks very much like garden-variety musculoskeletal discomfort. By the time the diagnosis…Read More
Spinal Epidural Abscess: 5 Things You Should Know
July 25, 2016
The incidence of spinal epidural abscess (SEA) has doubled in the past 2 decades due to the epidemic of MRSA infections, the spread of IV drug use, and the increased number of spinal and vascular access procedures. Delayed or missed diagnosis of SEA leads to profound disability or death; lawsuits in this arena are exceptionally…Read More
Communication Breakdowns in Healthcare: A Significant Cause of Risk and Malpractice Litigation
June 27, 2016
“It’s all about communication!” The world of medicine has changed by leaps and bounds over recent decades. Computers have become part of our daily lives, and technological advances have significantly improved our ability to diagnose and treat diseases that were once thought incurable. Despite this incredible progress, healthcare providers continue to commit far too many medical errors. And unfortunately, many of these mistakes are simply caused by “poor communication.”
Violence in Healthcare Part 2: Prevention and Intervention
June 20, 2016
Violence in Healthcare Part 1: Risk Factors & Warning Signs Once you have an understanding of the risk factors and warning signs that may lead to workplace violence in a healthcare setting, it’s imperative to implement a plan to prevent and intervene in these situations to provide a safe environment. Environmental Intervention A number of…Read More
