Complete Story
 

05/05/2022

Analysis of Cerebrovascular Accidents and Malpractice Claims

 


Provided by OSMA's preferred partner for medical liability insurance, The Doctors Company.

Shelley Rizzo, MSN, CPHRM, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company

Because a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) can happen in any healthcare setting, it is imperative that all healthcare providers and staff have the ability to spot the signs and symptoms promptly. Timely diagnosis and treatment can minimize injury severity and improve patient outcomes.

In a review of claims closed by The Doctors Company from 2009 through 2020, we identified 395 CVA claims. Diagnostic error (failure, delay, or wrong) was the most common allegation in claims arising from CVAs. Factors related to diagnosis of CVA that contributed to patient injuries included inadequate patient assessments (70 percent), failure or delay in obtaining a consult or referral (28 percent), and lack of communication among providers (23 percent).

Patient assessment issues included a failure to appreciate and reconcile relevant signs, symptoms, and test results, and a failure or delay in ordering diagnostic tests.

Failure or delay in obtaining a consult or referral sometimes occurred if the patient was not referred to a neurologist because the diagnosing clinician did not feel that the symptoms justified additional evaluation.

Communication among clinicians regarding patients’ conditions was a factor in 23 percent of diagnosis-related claims. In some cases, important information was not given to the clinicians providing care to the patient. In other cases, information was lost during transitions of patient care.


Risk Mitigation Strategies

Consider the following patient safety strategies:

 


In your inbox 

Printer-Friendly Version