NEWS
Stroke is the second leading cause of death in people over 60 and the fifth leading cause of death in those aged 15-59. Children, newborns and fetuses also suffer from strokes. Below are links to two recently published articles pertinent to medicolegal analysis of stroke cases.
Guidelines for the Management of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Prehospital stroke care: potential, pitfalls, and future
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The med
ical industry has termed events that should not happen "never events". Examples of these incidents include wrong site surgery, wrong patient surgery, etc. A study in the recently published Archives of Surgery found despite use of the Universal Protocol, a standardized checklist specifically designed to prevent such occurrences, they continue to occur and may even be on the rise. The authors concluded a "persisting high frequency of surgical "never events". Strict adherence to the Universal Protocol must be expanded to nonsurgical specialties to promote a zero-tolerance philosophy for these preventable incidents."
The Virginia Health Information released results from their latest study comparing HMO quality and consumer satisfaction. Virginia's HMOs ranked below the national average in half of the measures studied. Michael Lundberg, executive director of VHI, cited breast & cervical cancer screenings as areas that needed improvement, noting a decline in these services since 2005. To compare the state's HMO's, click here.
A study from Applied Nursing Research found 100% of student nurses made errors in a simulated environment. The study, out in February 2010, measured rule-based errors in four categories. The most common error was in the verification category. To purchase the article for download, click here.
Medical record content is coming to your Blackberry, Android, IPhone, etc. A recently announced partnership between Prematics and NaviNet will allow virtually real-time access to administrative, clinical and financial information from patient's health plans. Prematics representative explained the relevant clinical information would be available when the doctor and the patient were together.
General Electric will begin testing a "smart patient room" system soon. The technology was originally developed for security groups to scan public crowds for suspicious behavior. The "smart room" tracks in real time using cameras that analyze movements. GE uses the example of hand-washing as a practice the "smart" room system will track citing the high rate of hospital acquired infections in the U.S. Other uses for include tracking visits from physicians, nurses and other health care providers. While this may be the future of health-care, there will be many questions about it. How will these records be used in litigation? Will the patient have access to these films? Will they be considered part of the the patient record? How will privacy be maintained?
Jolly Consulting, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Medicare set aside (MSA) allocations to our list of services! We take the hassle out of this process for you. You send us the information along with the medical records and we do the rest, including the submission and any revisions. Most requests can be completed within ten business days of medical record receipt. Jolly Consulting, LLC has a flat rate schedule for the services associated with MSA. Please contact us to discuss how we can simplify the complexity surrounding MSA.
Without a three day hospital stay as an inpatient, Medicare will not cover long term care costs. Many patients are admitted under observation status, without their knowledge (Medicare does not require notification) making them ineligible for their subsequent nursing home costs to be covered. There is no difference in the level of care one receives as an inpatient or observation patient. Unless told, one would have no idea of their status. The status can change during the admission - back and forth between inpatient and observation without one's knowledge. Should a patient require rehabilitation in a long term care facility, after surgery or stroke, for instance, those costs are not covered. Many hospitals utilize a tool created by McKesson Health Services, called InerQual, to determine who is eligible for inpatient admission. The company claims the tool is proprietary, a trade secret. All of this is tied to reimbursement. As Medicare tightens its budget and performing recovery audits which are retroactive, facilities are looking to minimize costs. For more information: The Washington Post
On Friday, a US Court of Appeals upheld the lower court findings of no causal link between autism and the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine which contains a mercury-based preservative. To read the opinion, click here
A recent study published in Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology focused on repeated brain trauma of athletes and soldiers and the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) AKA Lou Gehrig's disease. Findings showed changes in the spinal cords of three athletes who had been diagnosed with ALS were inconsistent with the disease. Instead, investigators diagnosed concussion-like trauma, a condition that has similar effects on the central nervous system. This study confirms a suspected connection between degenerative motor diseases and head trauma. For more information please visit one of the links below.
Journal of Neuropathy & Experimental of Neurology
Jolly Consulting congratulates two of our clients who achieved three, million dollar+ medical malpractice settlements in May. Each case involved failure of the nursing staff to appropriately monitor patients leading to devastating consequences. In one case, the nurses' negligence caused the client's death. In the other two cases, clients suffered permanent, disabling injuries.
