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    • I think "never event" was chosen because it will not be reimbursed (negative compensation). But, with the law of unintended consequences, I suspect it will be used to seek tort compensation.

      10 months ago by symtym

      in » Never Events the New Class Actions? symtym

    • The "Never Event" is unfortunately named. In Australia a list of similar events are called Critical Indicators. I accept that they are preventable, but it is hard to say never in medicine...

      10 months ago by DrCris

      in » Never Events the New Class Actions? symtym

    • I wonder about the full disclosure issues. While I believe in them, I think that we are unnecessarily limiting the scope of disclosure practices to physicians. I believe that lawyers, politicians,...

      1 year ago by raja, MD, MS

      in Your Business

    • We don't already have a two-tiered medical system? One for the well-off, and one for everyone else?

      1 year ago by Chuck McKay

      in Concierge Medicine

    • This is important information, especially for an elderly person on the Medicare part d plan. They don't need any more nasty surprises like being declined for care

      1 year ago by Darwin Corby

      in MRSA: Medicare’s Superbug

symtym

...a physician meandering medicine, law and technology...
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Ratios Wars

Started by symtym · 10 months ago

Hospitals Need 25% More Nurses | LAT | 10.26.04

Officials say the L.A. County facilities cannot fully comply with state ratios. Some employees refusing to take on more patients are suspended.
Los Angeles County’s five public hospitals are more than 25% short of the number ... Continue reading »

2 comments

  • Carey

    4 years ago

    I'm not sure, but this might be a situation where a little bit more liability exposure on the part of the hospitals would be helpful. When you have 85% of the hospitals in the state out of compliance, either the regulations are unreasonable (doubtful), or the perceived risks of noncompliance aren't serious enough.

    Perhaps (I'm just speculating) the hospitals know that it's virtually impossible for a patient to prevail in a malpractice action against the hospital based on respondeat superior or "ostensible agency."

    In that case, the malpractice suits that are filed might focus exclusively on the physicians, who will be held responsible for errors caused by inadequate nurse staffing ratios--over which the physicians had no control.
    reply
  • symtym

    4 years ago

    I agree with all three of your statements. I'm also concerned about the potential interplay of the staffing ratios and the EMTALA mandate. There is the EMTALA mandate to provide a medical screening exam and provide emergency stablizing care for all comers and often that mandate forces significant impaction of Emergency Departments (ED) and volumes that often exceeds staffing ratios. The relief either comes in ED closures (by diversion of ambulances) or remaining open and "violating" the ratios.
    reply
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