Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Anesthesia Handoff Communication

Handoffs in anesthesiology are very variable and can easily lead to errors, complications and even deaths. This CME module will define the parameters important for safe anesthesia handoffs. Anesthesiologists and CRNAs will understand the different checklists and mnemonics that can…

EMTALA – What Physicians Need to Know

This internet activity will provide data and analysis of actual claims of EMTALA violations, showing what factors caused the patient claim to win and the hospital to lose. It will also show the array of penalties that may be levied…

ED Handoff Communications

The ED is an error-prone environment, and is perhaps the most handoff-intense setting in all of healthcare. While sign-out is a point where error may be introduced, it is also a point where error may be caught and corrected. Standardized…

Medical Error Prevention, Analysis, and Common Areas

According to the Institute of Medicine Report, there is substantial evidence that 1 in every 10 diagnoses is wrong. To improve the quality of healthcare and patient safety, physicians should know the causes of medical errors (cognitive, system-related, overconfidence) how…

Maternal and Newborn Levels of Care & Transport Implications

A current imbalance in the our perinatal care system has led to inappropriate, unsafe, and lack of transports in clinically relevant patients, as well as, risk of costly EMTALA violations by hospitals and physicians. In an effort to encourage safe…

External Fetal Monitoring Case Study #7: Levels of Care and Transport

Inappropriate, unsafe, or lack of transport when clinically indicated increases medical-legal risk to obstetricians and hospitals. Early identification of a perinatal patient (mother or fetus) requiring transport to a higher level of care improves outcomes. In 2015, ACOG & SMFM…

Withholding Life Sustaining Treatment, an Ethical Paradox

CMS is allowing reimbursement for healthcare providers who have stand-alone discussions with patients about their health care options near the end of life, including life-sustaining treatment. Lack of reimbursement has likely represented one barrier to these important discussions. Another obstacle…