Medical Errors News and Research

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Survivors of medical malpractice oppose additional "tort reforms" in health insurance reform bill

A group of medical malpractice survivors, many with family members who have died or were severely injured as a result of medical negligence, today sent letters to President Obama and the Congressional leadership urging them to keep additional "tort reforms" out of the health insurance reform bill. They said that responding to pressure from the insurance and medical lobbies to limit patients' legal rights would be a "tragic mistake."

12 Feb 2010

MITA endorses eight key principles to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure and medical errors

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), the leading association representing the manufacturers, innovators and developers of medical imaging and radiation therapy systems, today endorsed eight key principles to reduce exposure to unnecessary medical radiation, further minimize medical errors and improve reporting of adverse events.

12 Feb 2010

MEDNET to display NHIN and health care information technologies at HIMSS annual conference

MEDNETWorld.com (MEDNET) will be featured at the March 1-4, 2010 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. with a special demonstration at the “Interoperability Booth” by MEDNET Chief Architect Seonho Kim and a special presentation on March 4 in Session 246 by MEDNET CEO John Fraser on Identity Management in a Federated Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).

11 Feb 2010

Today's OpEds: Prescriptions for health reform

The best ideas out there are not those that were passed by the House and Senate last year, which consist of more spending, more regulations and more bureaucracy. If the president is serious about building a system that delivers more quality choices at lower cost for every American, here's where he should start (Newt Gingrich and John C. Goodman, 2/10).

11 Feb 2010

East Cooper Medical Center to install LiveData and KARL STORZ Endoscopy- America's Patient-Aware OR solutions

LiveData and KARL STORZ Endoscopy- America, Inc. today announced that East Cooper Medical Center will install the companies' Patient-Aware OR solution in the eight operating rooms in East Cooper's new hospital to be opened this quarter. KARL STORZ is a global leader in minimally invasive endoscopic technologies and operating room integration. LiveData is a leader in real-time data integration and display technology.

9 Feb 2010

Illinois high court rules medical malpractice caps are unconstitutional

The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a medical malpractice law enacted in 2005 that limited monetary damages to $1 million from hospitals and $500,000 from doctors for pain and suffering, the Chicago Tribune reports. "The much-anticipated ruling deals a blow to doctors and hospital officials who say caps on damages are a way to tame rising health care costs. … The court said the law violates the state's separation-of-powers clause between the branches of government by allowing lawmakers to interfere with a jury's right to determine damages."

6 Feb 2010

Radiation oncologists push for safety standards

The New York Times: "The leading professional organization dedicated to radiation oncology has called for enhanced safety measures in administering medical radiation, including the establishment of the nation's first central database for the reporting of errors involving linear accelerators — machines that generate radiation — and CT scanners.

5 Feb 2010

ARMC selects HMS to provide hospital information system applications for its general acute hospital

Arizona Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has selected Healthcare Management Systems, Inc.® (HMS) to provide hospital information system applications for its general acute hospital, located in Mesa, Ariz.

5 Feb 2010

ASTRO leads the way to help physicians improve safety and reduce medical errors

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has committed to a six-point patient protection plan that will improve safety and quality and reduce the chances of medical errors, ASTRO Board Chairman Tim R. Williams, M.D., said today.

4 Feb 2010

Inadequate staffing, interrupted rest breaks and retirement benefit changes impact patient care and nurse safety

Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), representing more than 1,500 registered nurses at Sacred Heart Medical Center, held an informational picket today to highlight issues critical to patient safety. Contract negotiations have stalled over several key issues including the ability to take uninterrupted rest breaks, inadequate nurse staffing levels, and changes to retirement benefits.

3 Feb 2010

New Patient Safety Checklists introduced to reduce fatal medical errors

Surgical safety checklists have been shown to be very effective in significantly reducing fatal medical errors when used by surgeons and members of the surgical team.

30 Jan 2010

Rush Memorial Hospital completes implementation of Healthland EMR solution

Healthland, America's market leader of healthcare information solutions for small community and critical access hospitals, announced today that Indiana-based, Rush Memorial Hospital has completed implementation of the Healthland Electronic Medical Records (EMR) solution.

30 Jan 2010

Vangard announces partnership with Vista LifeSciences to voice-enable medical record products

Vangard Voice Systems, Inc. (Vangard), the innovative provider of the AccuSpeech® Mobile Voice Platform (MVP) which adds high productivity voice-direct capabilities to existing mobile applications, announced a partnership with Vista LifeSciences to voice-enable Vista LifeSciences' medical assessment and clinical encounter/medical record products.

29 Jan 2010

Federal panel awards almost $500 million to La. to replace New Orleans Charity Hospital

Ending one of the longest-running disputes left by Hurricane Katrina, a federal arbitration panel ruled Wednesday that Louisiana would receive $474.8 million — nearly all it had requested — to pay for the replacement of Charity Hospital in New Orleans, which has been closed since the storm.

28 Jan 2010

Study finds regional hospitals often are better at preventing medical errors than academic centers

Some regional hospitals perform better than academic medical centers at preventing complications and infections that can lead to hospital deaths, Forbes reports. The article looks at the results of an annual study by HealthGrades, a hospital rating company, of Medicare data which found 269 hospitals around the country "with unusually low mortality and complications rates for 26 different procedures and diagnoses."

27 Jan 2010

Health IT roundup: Provider-vendor relationships an issue, group uses racial info to customize care

Health News Florida/Kaiser Health News: "A group of Broward County doctors looking to switch to electronic medical records say the result has been a massive headache: surprise charges, inadequate training and even blocked access to patient files."

23 Jan 2010

KHN column: Give nurses a bigger role in improving health care

In a column for Kaiser Health News, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, writes the following: "Skilled health provider. Sympathetic caregiver. Trusted dispenser of medicines. Capable interpreter of complicated medical instructions.

21 Jan 2010

SCA begins new initiative to make 'error-free' cardiac surgery a reality

Is it possible for cardiac surgery teams to completely eliminate medical errors? That's the goal of an ambitious project—called the "Flawless Operative Cardiovascular Unified Systems" (FOCUS) initiative—being undertaken by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA).

21 Jan 2010

New survey: Nurses should have more influence on health care services, say opinion leaders

From reducing medical errors, to increasing the quality of care, to promoting wellness, to improving efficiency and reducing costs, a new survey finds that an overwhelming majority of opinion leaders say nurses should have more influence.

21 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 20, 2010

The G.O.P. claims the Massachusetts Senate seat and sends Dems scrambling to salvage their health overhaul effort.

20 Jan 2010

Medical Errors News and Research

Survivors of medical malpractice oppose additional "tort reforms" in health insurance reform bill

MITA endorses eight key principles to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure and medical errors

MEDNET to display NHIN and health care information technologies at HIMSS annual conference

Today's OpEds: Prescriptions for health reform

East Cooper Medical Center to install LiveData and KARL STORZ Endoscopy- America's Patient-Aware OR solutions

Illinois high court rules medical malpractice caps are unconstitutional

Radiation oncologists push for safety standards

ARMC selects HMS to provide hospital information system applications for its general acute hospital

ASTRO leads the way to help physicians improve safety and reduce medical errors

Inadequate staffing, interrupted rest breaks and retirement benefit changes impact patient care and nurse safety

New Patient Safety Checklists introduced to reduce fatal medical errors

Rush Memorial Hospital completes implementation of Healthland EMR solution

Vangard announces partnership with Vista LifeSciences to voice-enable medical record products

Federal panel awards almost $500 million to La. to replace New Orleans Charity Hospital

Study finds regional hospitals often are better at preventing medical errors than academic centers

Health IT roundup: Provider-vendor relationships an issue, group uses racial info to customize care

KHN column: Give nurses a bigger role in improving health care

SCA begins new initiative to make 'error-free' cardiac surgery a reality

New survey: Nurses should have more influence on health care services, say opinion leaders

First Edition: January 20, 2010

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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