The nurses at Med League frequently got calls from attorneys about patients who fell within a healthcare facility. The attorney was looking for a well-qualified expert to review the case. Hip fractures or head injuries are often the medical consequences of these falls. The damages are often not in question. The attorney is usually asking […]
Read MoreQuitting your day job no longer seems impossible. When asked what you do at a party, you no longer fall over your words. You actually believe, deep in your heart, that you are as valuable as your brochure claims. Your children are finally impressed. Your attorneys take one look at a case and call you […]
Read MoreThere is a strong trend to computerization of medical records. This method of recording information about a patient offers many advantages. Pen and paper medical records are plagued by illegible handwriting along with non-standardized and dangerous abbreviations, which can lead to medical errors. Electronic records are legible and are programmed to use only approved terminology […]
Read MoreThere is a strong trend to computerization of medical records. This method of recording information about a patient offers many advantages. Access to a medical record may be electronically limited. For example, a nursing assistant may be permitted to only enter vital signs but not review orders, laboratory results, or write nursing notes. A paper […]
Read MoreWhen my brother was a resident in a nursing home I noticed he spent long hours in a wheelchair. There are numerous chairs and devices on the market that fulfill a variety of nursing home resident needs. For example, glider or rocking chairs with vinyl-covered cushions are used with patients who like to rock and […]
Read MoreComputerized medical records are here to stay. Not perfect, but better than handwritten records. This method of recording information about a patient offers many advantages but also some significant disadvantages. Computerized medical records have drawbacks that affect the legal nurse consultant’s ability to analyze medical records. Drawbacks of computerized medical records Electronic health records can […]
Read MoreAttorneys and legal nurse consultants spend much time poring over computerized medical records and litigation intensifies the need to understand these records. There is a strong trend to computerization of medical records. This method of recording information about a patient offers many advantages in litigation. Computerization of documentation provides some benefits for those involved in […]
Read MoreYou’ve been asked to go into a law firm to do a presentation to the attorneys. What a great opportunity to share your knowledge. Here’s what you need to know. Here are a dozen tips I have learned from my involvement with speaking and National Speakers Association 1. Don’t start by thanking the organizer for […]
Read MorePressure sore staging challenged In December 2011, a panel of experts rocked the pressure ulcer world by attacking some of the underpinnings of the current pressure ulcer classification systems (Staging, Grading, Categories). They said that some of the language creates problems from clinical, regulatory, legal and economic perspectives. The advisory panel is proposing the new […]
Read MoreSkin changes at the end of life are not a new issue. Consider what occurred more than 100 years ago. Dr. Alois Alzheimer was on call in 1901 when a 51-year-old woman, Frau August D, was admitted to his asylum for the insane in Frankfort. Dr. Alzheimer followed this patient, studied her symptoms and presented […]
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