scholarly journals Litigation costs of wrong-site surgery and other non-technical errors in orthopaedic operating theatres

2015 ◽  
Vol 97 (8) ◽  
pp. 592-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
WD Harrison ◽  
B Narayan ◽  
AW Newton ◽  
JV Banks ◽  
G Cheung

Introduction This study reviews the litigation costs of avoidable errors in orthopaedic operating theatres (OOTs) in England and Wales from 1995 to 2010 using the National Health Service Litigation Authority Database. Materials and methods Litigation specifically against non-technical errors (NTEs) in OOTs and issues regarding obtaining adequate consent was identified and analysed for the year of incident, compensation fee, cost of legal defence, and likelihood of compensation. Results There were 550 claims relating to consent and NTEs in OOTs. Negligence was related to consent (n=126), wrong-site surgery (104), injuries in the OOT (54), foreign body left in situ (54), diathermy and skin-preparation burns (54), operator error (40), incorrect equipment (25), medication errors (15) and tourniquet injuries (10). Mean cost per claim was £40,322. Cumulative cost for all cases was £20 million. Wrong-site surgery was error that elicited the most successful litigation (89% of cases). Litigation relating to implantation of an incorrect prosthesis (eg right-sided prosthesis in a left knee) cost £2.9 million. Prevalence of litigation against NTEs has declined since 2007. Conclusions Improved patient-safety strategies such as the World Health Organization Surgical Checklist may be responsible for the recent reduction in prevalence of litigation for NTEs. However, addition of a specific feature in orthopaedic surgery, an ‘implant time-out’ could translate into a cost benefit for National Health Service hospital trusts and improve patient safety.

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair Geraghty ◽  
Lorna Ferguson ◽  
Craig McIlhenny ◽  
Paul Bowie

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Bernal-Delgado ◽  
Sandra García-Armesto ◽  
Natalia Martínez-Lizaga ◽  
Begoña Abadía-Taira ◽  
Joaquín Beltrán-Peribañez ◽  
...  

Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Carnicero ◽  
David Rojas ◽  
Ignacio Elicegui ◽  
Javier Carnicero

This article identifies the main challenges of the National Health Service of Spain and proposes its transformation into a Learning Health System. For this purpose, the main indicators and reports published by the Spanish Ministries of Health and Finance, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Health Organization (WHO) were reviewed. The Learning Health System proposal is based on some sections of an unpublished report, written by two of the authors under request of the Ministry of Health of Spain on Big Data for the National Health System. The main challenges identified are the rising old age dependency ratio; health expenditure pressures and the likely increase of out-of-pocket expenditure; drug expenditures, both retail and consumed in hospitals; waiting lists for surgery; potentially preventable hospital admissions; and the use of electronic health record (EHR) data to fulfil national health information and research objectives. To improve its efficacy, efficiency, and quality, the National Health Service of Spain should be transformed into a Learning Health System. Information and communication technologies (IT) enablers are a fundamental tool to address the complexity and vastness of health data as well as the urgency that clinical and management decisions require. Big Data solutions are a perfect match for that problem in health systems.


Pflege ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 417-423
Author(s):  
Elke Keinath

Im Artikel werden persönliche Erfahrungen als Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in der Thoraxchirurgie im National Health Service (NHS) in Großbritannien geschildert. Die tägliche Routine wurde von sieben Kompetenzdomänen bestimmt, nämlich: Management des Gesundheits- und Krankheitszustandes des Patienten, Beziehungen zwischen Pflegeperson und Patient, Lehren und Unterrichten, professionelle Rolle, Leitung und Führung innerhalb der Patientenversorgung, Qualitätsmanagement sowie kulturelle und spirituelle Kompetenzen. Diese Elemente wurden durch die Zusatzqualifikation, selbstständig Medikamente verschreiben und verordnen zu dürfen, erweitert, was dazu beitrug, eine nahtlose Erbringung von Pflege- und Serviceleistungen zu gewähren. Die Position wurde zur zentralen Anlaufstelle im multi-professionellen Team und stellte eine kontinuierliche Weiterführung der Pflege von Patienten und ihren Familien sicher – auch über Krankenhausgrenzen hinweg.


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