Podcast
Nurse Practitioners: Expanding Role, Expanding Liability
New York became the 18th state to no longer requireexperienced nurse practitioners to have a written practice service agreement with a physician. Experienced nurse practitioners (who have more than 3,600 hours of practice) will be able to be even more independent. Nurse practitioners’ expanding liability accompanies their expanding role. As patients receive insurance as a…
Read MoreIs it Substandard Charting or Fraudulent Charting? Part 2
In Part 1, I explained how you can spot substandard charting. Suspicious charting goes one step further to raise concern about the medical records. Substandard Charting or Fraudulent Charting Trouble: Detailed addenda Healthcare providers may feel compelled to write detailed addenda to the medical record after they learned a patient was injured or was considering…
Read MoreIs it Substandard Charting or Fraudulent Charting? Part 1
The attorney tells you she has a suspicion that the medical record has fraudulent charting. She thinks the medical documentation of healthcare providers may be incomplete, untimely, illegible, or incorrect. You know that substandard documentation may itself result in an untoward outcome for the patient and thus factor into a medical negligence suit. However, what…
Read MoreAltering Medical Records Consequences
Legal nurse consultants may detect tampering with medical records. What happens to healthcare providers who get caught? What are the altering medical records consequences? Shame and embarrassment Loss of reputation, shame, guilt, and being exposed as a wrong doer can all have a profound impact on the individual who altered medical records. It is terribly…
Read MoreTampering with Medical Records
Red Flags for Tampering with Medical Records What are the red flag warning signs that someone may have been tampering with medical records? Be suspicious when: the result of the injury is not consistent with the documentation; the plaintiff’s complaints are consistent with the missing information; there is a delay in or an inability to…
Read MoreWhat I learned from being homeless for two weeks
We became homeless on April 15, 2013. That day bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon. We won’t soon forget the images and stories of people affected – people who lost their limbs or lives. My husband and I were coming home from the airport on April 15. We were eating a late lunch in a…
Read MoreScreening a fall case for merit
Falls are common in healthcare settings. You can perform an invaluable service by screening a fall case for merit. A fall that results in injury – a fracture, head injury, or paralysis may present an appealing case to a plaintiff attorney. But some attorneys stop and think, “Is this really a good case? Should I…
Read MoreMedical Malpractice Errors
Legal nurse consultants work within the high stakes arena of medical malpractice errors litigation. We are often asked to screen medical malpractice cases for merit – does the case meet the criteria for a winnable case – for the plaintiff or the defendant? Other industries, such as aviation, manufacturing, and energy developed safety interventions needed…
Read MoreScreening a Medication Error Case for Medical Malpractice
A legal nurse consultant may screen a medication error case for merit. The LNC recognizes that is often easiest to screen a case by starting with the damages. What happened as a result of the alleged medication error? Permanent, severe damages have the highest potential for providing compensation, assuming that liability and causation can be…
Read MoreScreening a Medical Malpractice Case for Merit
An LNC and physician explaining a case to the attorney[/caption] You are a legal nurse consultant who is asked to be involved in screening a medical malpractice case for merit. The medical records are in hand; someone has to review them. Who should review them, and in what sequence, depends on numerous factors. When should…
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