Senior Care Risk: Lack of Resident/Family Collaboration and Engagement

Susan Lucot, MSN, RN, MLT (ASCP), CPHRM

Senior care settings differ significantly from acute care settings in that they serve as residents’ homes. As such, residents and their families might grow attached to the surroundings and the staff, and they may view the center or facility much as they would a private home (in terms of independence and autonomy). As a result, senior care leaders and staff may face complex challenges in balancing residents’ rights with their safety.

The Rise and Risks of Healthcare Influencers

Healthcare influencers have become a popular source of health information online, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Influencers use their online presence on social media platforms to not only educate and generate interest on healthcare topics, but also to combat misinformation. Social media is an ideal way for them to reach more people than they could on an average workday.

What Dentists Should Know About Medical Clearance

As people age, they may develop medical conditions that are problematic for their dental care. Therefore, it is critically important that dentists obtain, review, and update their patients’ health history at each visit. Dentists also should obtain complete medication lists from patients for all care, including routine oral healthcare.

The Essential Elements of Informed Consent

Informed consent is a legal and ethical principle that supports disclosing important information to patients so they can understand proposed treatments and fully participate in their care. The basis of informed consent rests on the principle of autonomy, which recognizes the right of competent individuals to make decisions regarding their healthcare.

Eight Strategies for Creating a Culture of Safety for Midwives

Marcy A. Metzgar

The United States is facing a maternity healthcare provider shortage. What may reverse this trend is a robust and more diverse workforce of midwives educated through professionally accredited midwifery education programs.¹

Assessing Patients for Potential Violence as Part of De-Escalation

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Mitigating violence in healthcare is a top concern for all types of settings, from small office practices to large health systems. An important strategy in the toolbox for violence prevention is training staff how to de-escalate aggressive, hostile, and violent patient behaviors. Yet, as patient behavior intensifies and edges closer to violence, de-escalation becomes more challenging and secondary to protecting other patients and staff members. Thus, a crucial aspect of de-escalation is assessing patients for the potential for aggression before it occurs.

Avoiding Allegations of Negligent Referral

Referring patients to specialists is common in both dental and medical practice. In fact, making appropriate referrals is a recommended risk strategy to avoid poor outcomes that result from practicing outside of one’s scope of expertise. However, healthcare providers can be accused of “negligent referral” if they refer patients to specialists who mishandle the patients’ cases and cause injuries.

Essential Risk Management Strategies for General Surgeons

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

General surgeons face various risks in day-to-day practice. Adverse outcomes related to surgical treatment, diagnosis, and medical treatment can result from numerous factors, including issues with technical competency, clinical judgment, communication, documentation, and more.