This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Kathy Zigmont, BS, RN, CPPS Description A 61-year-old female with a complex medical history died after being administered contraindicated medications. Clinical Events A 61-year-old female with a complicated medical history was admitted for an evaluation of a large right ventricular thrombus with Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD) lead involvement. Her history included non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with ventricular tachycardia, an AICD placement, atrial fibrillation, and recurrent pulmonary emboli. The patient was also taking the antiarrhythmic Dofetilide (500mcg/day), which is associated with QT interval prolongation, a...
This resource was made available to MIEC through our partnership with Candello. It was written by Hannah Tremont, MPH Nearly half of health care workers in the U.S. experience burnout, and the post-pandemic exodus from the field has only amplified the strain on the remaining workforce. Given this reality and the links between health care worker well-being and patient safety, it is crucial to understand the implications of burnout on patient outcomes and the potential avenues for comprehensive solutions. A commentary published in the American Journal of Medicine, co-authored by Daniel Shapiro, PhD, Senior Partner and Executive Director of the...
How EHR Documentation Practices Directly Affect Medical Liability
In the event of a medical malpractice lawsuit, a physician's defense relies primarily on the documentation of the care they provided. In the healthcare industry, it is often stated, "If it isn't documented, it didn't happen." While Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) have introduced improvements in healthcare documentation, Candello's 2024 Benchmarking Report on Documentation indicates that the likelihood of a medical professional liability (MPL) case closing with an indemnity payment increases by 140% when there are indications of inadequate documentation of patient encounters. Furthermore, the cost of defense significantly escalates due to the difficulty in securing defense experts and the necessity...
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986 is a federal law aimed at ensuring public access to emergency medical services regardless of a patient's ability to pay for those services. The primary intent of EMTALA is to prevent instances of "patient dumping," in which hospitals refuse to treat uninsured patients or transfer them to other facilities without providing adequate medical evaluation and care. EMTALA imposes several requirements on Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services, and physicians with staff privileges at those hospitals may also have individual obligations under EMTALA. Hospital Requirements When a patient arrives at a...
Bill Limiting Minor Medical Consent and Privacy Passed by Idaho Legislature
The “Parental Rights in Medical Decision-Making” Act was delivered to Governor Little on March 15, 2024. In the absence of a veto, it will go into effect on July 1, 2024 as an emergency provision. Minors (of specified ages) in Idaho have long held the right to consent to certain types of medical care, including certain types of behavioral health care, substance abuse disorder treatment, family planning, and some communicable diseases including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). As an extension of this right to consent to care, minors also had a right to confidentiality of information pertaining to care and treatment...