This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Jennifer Vuu Sanchez, CRICO Description A 60-year-old male’s allegation of a failure to diagnose colon cancer was complicated by his undocumented refusals of recommended cancer screenings. Key Lessons Inadequate documentation of a patient’s refusal of cancer screening falls below the standard of care. A patient’s refusal of cancer screening, risks related to the refusal, and alternatives offered to the patient should always be documented in the patient’s medical record. Provide patient education on the importance of cancer screenings and document the patient’s level...
This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Margaret Janes, RN, JD, CRICO Description An elderly patient with a known history of mobility limitations fell and broke their hip after leaving the podiatrist's office with a newly applied walking boot. Key Lessons Copying and pasting of past assessments in the medical record may perpetuate erroneous or outdated information being carried forward. Be cognizant of what is new and what is no longer relevant. Repeatedly copied clinical notes may give the impression that you do not care about the patient. Where such...
This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Jeffrey Timperi, CRICO Description Failure to monitor a patient's physiological status and lack of standard operating procedures during intra-hospital transport resulted in the death of a 60-year old female. Key Lessons Standardizing transport and documentation processes amongst providers limits confusion. Hospital transporters need to follow a standard operating procedure for checking patient oxygen tank levels. An entry error by a clinician to a patient's electronic health record exacerbated the patient's adverse event during an intra-hospital transport. Clinical Sequence A 60-year-old female with a...
Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnosis after Insufficient Follow-Up
This case study was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Kristin O’Reilly, RN, BSN, MPH, CRICO Description A 38-year-old patient had a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer resulting in an increased tumor size and advanced staging at the time of diagnosis progressing from Stage 1 to Stage 2. Key Lesson Adhering to national standards and internal policies and procedures is imperative to ensuring the timely diagnosis of cancer. Clinical Sequence A 38-year-old presented to her primary care provider (PCP) with concern for a palpable breast lump. The PCP noted the presence of the...
On June 27, following oral arguments in April, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the case United States v. Idaho and remanded the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Importantly, the decision also reinstated the prior injunction against Idaho’s prohibition of abortion under the Emergency Medicine and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), meaning that hospitals can once again perform abortion as part of medically necessary stabilizing care for patients presenting with emergent complications of pregnancy. Since the Dobbs decision overturned federal protections on abortion, Idaho is currently one of 14 states with the most restrictive laws prohibiting abortion, except in...