Risk Management and Patient Safety

Oct 01, 2018
Virtual Reality for Pain Management: An Alternative to Opioids
Miranda Felde, MHA, CPHRM, Vice President, Patient Safety and Risk Management
Many physicians are exploring virtual reality (VR) technologies as an alternative to opioid prescriptions. VR addresses both attention paid to pain and the patient’s emotional state: The immersive distraction of VR can help a patient mentally transport to another space, such as an underwater seascape, which may also positively affect the patient’s emotional state.

Sep 28, 2018
Strategies to Reduce Liability Risks for Hospitalists
Kathleen Stillwell, MPA/HSA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager
Hospitalists face liability risks based on their role as an inpatient’s attending physician, covering physician, consultant, and/or co-manager. Two common problem areas are confusion regarding the hospitalist’s role in the patient care continuum and miscommunication during the different phases of inpatient care, especially during handoffs.

Sep 17, 2018
Ransomware Attack Options: Restore, Pay, or Lose Patient Data
Craig Musgrave, Senior Vice President, Information Technology
Ransomware is an attack where a business or individual’s computer system is held hostage by cybercriminals until a ransom is paid. Hospitals, medical practices, and businesses should take full precautions to prevent a hack that results in ransomware being installed.

Sep 06, 2018
Urgent Field Safety Notice on FLO-LOK III Dispensers
Roche Diagnostics issues an expanded urgent field safety notice for FLO-LOK III Dispenser.

Sep 06, 2018
On Alert: What All Doctors Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease
Cynthia Morrison, RN, ARM, CPHRM, CPPS, Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
As the population ages, Alzheimer’s is becoming a more common cause of death. Early diagnosis of dementia, requiring the expertise of a neuropsychiatric physician who specializes in dementia, is essential to allow for maximum quality of life. Physicians of all specialties should become familiar with the early signs of this disease in order to refer patients with symptoms to a specialist for further testing.

Aug 14, 2018
Surprise, Disappointment, and Anger Lead to Malpractice Lawsuits
Mark Gorney, MD, FACS (1924–2014), Governor Emeritus, and Richard Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel
The common denominator of all malpractice claims is a combination of surprise, disappointment, and anger. Anger is by far the most common factor in stimulating further action by the patient. Regardless of the actual cause, anger will be focused on the most convenient and visible target—the physician.