Serving Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Galveston Counties
HOUSTON
Volume 10 | Issue 11
Inside This Issue
November Edition 2020
COVID-19 Is Changing Liability Risks and Litigation in Healthcare By Bill Fleming, Chief Operating Officer The Doctors Company
Texas Heart Institute Debuts Clinical Cardiology Practice Cardiovascular Research Center See pg. 10
INDEX Legal Matters........................ pg.3 Oncology Research......... pg.5 Mental Health...................... pg.6 Healthy Heart....................... pg.8
Across the spectrum of care, healthcare delivery is changing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, creating additional pressures to maintain patient safety and shaping new liability risks for hospitals, group practices, and solo physicians.
U
nderstanding how these new risk exposures are unfolding— and how adverse events may be litigated in a courtroom environment also under strain—is the first step to taking protective measures. Mr. Fleming offers his expert insights: • What kinds of lawsuits do you expect to see linked to the COVID-19 pandemic? • Extraordinary circumstances and a steady stream of directives (and revisions thereto) from state and local governments have pressed physicians, practices, and hospitals to practice medicine in ways they never have before—or to not
practice medicine, when certain elective forms of care have been suspended by government action, often to conserve PPE and other resources. In spite of reasonable efforts under difficult conditions, it’s likely that some adverse events will be traced to this time. It is important to note that “elective” in this context does not mean unnecessary or optional. It includes important screening and diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopies, some cancer and cardiac surgeries, and most
dental procedures. Delay of elective procedures may be a source of increased litigation—many biopsies for cancer, for instance, have lately been delayed, and delay in diagnosis was already one of the most expensive areas of litigation pre-COVID19. Other delays in care many be linked to access issues. Telemedicine has been a lifesaver for many during this crisis, but some vulnerable patients may lack access. Infrastructure can also present a barrier to telemedicine care, see Liability Risks... page 14
Baylor College of Medicine Recruiting Participants for COVID-19 Prevalence Study Harris Health System’s Earns National Nursing Recognition See pg. 11
A
s Baylor College of Medicine is recruiting participants for a study to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in the Houston area. The study is part of a nationwide initiative
called the Community Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 study (COMPASS) led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to determine how COVID-19 is transmitted in communities. Participants will be given a free COVID-19 nasal swab test and will be asked to provide a blood sample for an antibody test to determine if they were previously infected. COVID-19 test results will be returned within 48 hours. All participants also will complete a short survey answering questions about demographics and personal experience with COVID-19 mitigation measures.
Participants will receive a gift card for their participation. “Learning how many people have already been infected with COVID-19 will allow us to understand the potential risks that contribute to see COVID-19 Study ... page 14
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO 1 HOUSTON TX
