ELM Exchange Newsletter

 

January/February 2012

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NEWS FROM ELM

NEW COURSE RELEASES

We will be releasing the following course topics in 2012:

  • Risks in the Office Practice I
  • Informed Consent IV
  • Managing Difficult Patients IV
  • Coordination of Patient Care III
  • Documentation (EMR focus)

 

NEED HELP IN PREPARING A PHYSICIAN DEFENDANT FOR DEPOSITION OR TRIAL?

ELM has developed a new course for you! Deposition and Trial Guidelines for the Physician Defendant is now available! For more information or to request a demo, please contact you sales representative or sales@elmexchange.com.

COMING SOON

In July 2012, ELM will release a new and improved learner dashboard and design layout for learners – stay tuned for more information!

ELM COURSE TAKERS SAID...

Following the completion of each online course, ELM asks course takers to complete an evaluation.  Here is what the ELM course takers said in 2011:

97% have a better understanding of the risk and patient safety issues presented in the course

95% feel better prepared to avoid situations that may result in litigation

93% of physicians felt that the courses made them aware of patient safety or risks that may exist in their practice

One of the questions asks what changes they plan to make as a result of the course. Here are some of the responses:

"I am going to tighten up the in–office communication in our EMR system to guarantee appropriate communication of all results to the patient."

"Document facts clearly in the records, report the error to risk management, never conceal error or misrepresent what occurred in the medical record."

"Make certain that our clinic's protocol for receiving, reviewing, documenting, and reporting labs results is in line with principles in this module."

To see more participant feedback, click here.

 

 

Cooperation Between Providers

The patient underwent a fairly routine procedure–the removal of venous blood–performed at a blood bank by an experienced nurse. Serious complications that arise from this procedure are rare. Certainly, a small hematoma at the venipuncture site would not be unexpected or cause for serious concern. Under normal circumstances, the nurse could have advised the patient when she complained of swelling. However, in this case, the nurse felt that the swelling was greater than she had seen in years of experience. Therefore, the physician was obligated to carefully examine the patient and consider a potential arterial injury or an undetected bleeding disorder that may have required attention and possible intervention.

The physician's response was not only substandard care, but his lack of attention and dismissive attitude toward the patient and the nurse could be viewed as disruptive behavior that did not foster patient safety. The patient would certainly take into consideration the physician's lack of compassion in her decision to proceed with a lawsuit. While good "bedside manner" will not prevent every lawsuit, it is often a factor in the patient's decision to take legal action against a healthcare provider.

 
PRINCIPLE:
While not every post–procedure complaint indicates a serious complication, when a trained professional indicates that there may be a problem, the supervising physician has a duty to respond appropriately.

~Principle Quiz~

 
Correct Answer
A physician's bedside manner makes little to no difference in a patient's decision to take legal action for an injury the patient considers to be the result of substandard care.
False
Concerns expressed by trained healthcare professionals regarding post–procedure symptoms deserve careful attention by a physician.
True
A dismissive attitude toward other staff members by a physician may be considered disruptive behavior that increases the risk of patient injury.
True

 

 

About ELM Exchange, Inc.
For more than 20 years, ELM Exchange, Inc. (ELM stands for Education in Legal Medicine) has worked with hospitals, health systems, and insurance carriers to educate healthcare providers about risk and patient safety. ELM programs are a tested and proven offering that provides organizations with a method to proactively address critical risk issues and to easily monitor and document those efforts.
 
 

ELM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
 
 
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