DEA Likely to Further Extend Flexibilities on Controlled Substances and Telehealth Prescribing Beyond 2024
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provision of medical care through telehealth increased by 154%, and much of that increase occurred in behavioral health. This trend, combined with COVID risk mitigation strategies and temporary flexibilities in licensure and regulatory requirements, resulted in substantial growth in virtual-only medical practices. In the field of behavioral health, temporary flexibilities allowing telehealth-only prescribing of controlled substances has allowed these practices to flourish by allowing them to treat a full spectrum of conditions through remote-only care. However, as the COVID pandemic ended, an important question arose as to whether telehealth-only prescribing of...
Outpatient Care’s Safety Gaps: A System-wide Call for Change
This article was made available to MIEC through our partnership with CRICO. It was written by Hannah Tremont, MPH Approximately 25 percent of adults in the U.S. receive care in an outpatient setting each month. Despite the progress made in improving inpatient safety, outpatient care remains a significant area of concern, as highlighted by a recent study, “The Safety of Outpatient Health Care” published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The CRICO-funded study reveals that adverse events in outpatient settings are not only common but often preventable. With the increasing complexity of outpatient care, this gap in patient safety presents...
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...