Medicare is currently examining readmission and mortality rates, complications after surgery and how closely hospitals adhere to basic guidelines for care. The results so-far have shown that some of the countries best teaching hospitals, including area hospitals like the University of Chicago Medical Center and the University of Illinois Hospital, are 10 times more likely to experience serious patient complications than other hospitals.
]]> Process ConcernsDespite overwhelming perception as some of the best hospitals in the country, these hospitals have been negatively highlighted in the Medicare review. Many in the medical community are questioning the accuracy of the report and are pointing out, what they believe to be, flaws in the process.
Though these hospitals may have higher complication rates, they also often take on the more challenging cases with the sickest patients. In addition, though serious adverse patient events may occur more often at teaching hospitals, this may be because testing is more rigorous, advanced and experimental at such a facility.
Unfortunately, hospital errors are not uncommon. Patient safety issues can exist at the most highly acclaimed institutions, just as they can arise at a small rural institution. Regardless of whether or not there are flaws in the Medicare review data, it serves as an important reminder that patient safety is a critical issue that must be on everyone's radar.
]]>A 2004 crash that killed 15 people highlights the failings of the inspection system in Illinois. According to the NTSB, the bus passed a state-approved inspection in a Chicago shop two months before the accident. However, inspectors missed serious defects in the bus that would have normally kept it off the road. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the same garage was later suspended for a month due to a poor inspection of a school bus during the same time period.
]]> While annual inspection of commercial vehicles is required under federal law, more than half of states have no such requirement. Instead, safety inspections are conducted by state agencies, independent mechanics or even vehicle owners and operators themselves. An impromptu roadside inspection, completed within the previous year, also meets the federal requirement for many states. Legislative efforts to improve inspections at the state level, approved in the Senate in March, have stalled in the House.Failure to provide additional scrutiny, long deemed unnecessary by the FMCSA, also irks bus safety advocates. "If you can't afford to take a plane and have to take a bus, you are going to be subject to second-class safety standards, both in terms of equipment and oversight by the federal government," said Jacqueline Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in a recent Boston Globe article.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a bus or other commercial vehicle, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your case and review your options.
]]>This year's roundup of parents behind on Illinois child support payments was similar to an effort in February 2011, which resulted in 15 arrests of parents owing a cumulative $660,000.
]]> The DuPage County State's Attorney said that, "In these difficult economic times, single-parent families rely on that income to provide even the basic necessities for their children. My office is 100 percent committed to making sure that delinquent parents live up to their obligations and pay child support."The 11 fathers arrested on Valentine's Day owed a combined $238,000 in back child support. The men were arrested for not following court orders, but were not criminally charged. Bail money will be put towards their child support arrears. A spokesperson for the state's attorney explained, "The idea is not to incarcerate people; it's to get them to start paying."
This operation is in addition to regular efforts by the DuPage County Child Support Enforcement Program and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The state's attorney's office reported that last year the agencies worked together to collect over $40 million in child support payments.
Parents who need help obtaining or modifying a child support order may contact an attorney for assistance.
Source: Daily Herald, DuPage nabs 11 'deadbeat' dads in Valentines roundup, Josh Stockinger, 15 February 2012
]]>UPIs offer a uniform method of linking individuals to their medical data. Instead of having a slew of different patient ID numbers for clinics, insurance plans, pharmacies and others involved in the health care system, each patient would have a single unique UPI. The hope is the UPIs would increase efficiencies, improve patient safety and avoid hospital errors.
Advocates of UPIs argue they would enable doctors to more seamlessly transfer a patient's data between providers. This would hopefully save time, costs and improve patient safety and experience.
]]> Those concerned about privacy are leery of the idea of UPIs. The worry that UPIs would make it more likely private medical records would be collected and used for profit without patient consent. As a result, patients may lose trust in the healthcare system and hide vital information from their doctors. Additionally, since all medical records are connected to a single UPI, if that number is somehow compromised patients may risk having their entire medical history in the wrong hands.As the debate around UPIs continues, hopefully further research on the subject will clarify whether such a system would truly benefit patient safety.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, Should Every Patient Have a Unique ID Number for All Medical Records?, Michael F. Collins and Deborah C. Peel, 23 January 2012
]]>The new seatbelt law was passed over the summer, and it gives police the right to stop a vehicle if they see any passenger is not properly restrained. Previously, adults in the back seat were excluded from the seat belt mandate. Fines for violating the law start at $25.
James Doherty, the medical director of trauma and critical care at Christ Medical Center, has seen the consequences of unrestrained passengers getting into car accidents. He explained that unbuckled riders "can be thrown from the vehicle," causing severe head and abdominal injuries. "It's a public safety issue that trumps personal decision-making," he stated.
]]> Drivers and passengers should make sure their shoulder restraint is placed in front of them and their belt is properly adjusted. Extensions are also available for those who need longer belts.There will be certain exemptions from the law including passengers in some delivery trucks, emergency vehicles, taxis, buses and those in vehicles manufactured in 1965 or before.
Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injury or death from motor vehicle collisions by roughly 50 percent, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control. Although most people are aware of the benefits of seat belts, many motorists still neglect wear one. Hopefully this new law will encourage more people buckle up.
Source: The Herald News, Back-seat riders required to buckle up starting Sunday, Donna Vickroy, 27 December 2011
]]>The campaign is timed coincide with this upcoming holiday weekend, which has historically had a high rate of car accidents in Illinois. According to IDOT, last year over the Thanksgiving holiday there were 15 fatalities and over 740 injuries on Illinois roads.
Over the weekend, 200 law enforcement agencies will target seat belt and impaired driving violations. IDOT estimates there will be 40 roadside safety checks and over 1,700 seat belt enforcement zones.
Jeffrey Jacobs, of the Illinois State Police, cautioned motorists about dangerous driving behaviors, "We need people to be aware of the 'fatal four' dangers on the roadway, which are speeding, not wearing a seat belt, distracted driving and DUIs."
]]> By simply wearing a seat belt motorists are much less likely to be killed or injured in a serious motor vehicle accident. Although the rate of Illinois drivers who wear seat belts is high during the day, motorists are much less likely to buckle up in the evening.Beginning next year in Illinois, the driver and all passengers (including those in the back seat) will be required use a seat belt, but motorists shouldn't wait until then. A much bigger threat than getting a ticket is the risk of experiencing death or injury from an auto accident. Choose to drive sober and buck up to ensure a safe holiday season.
Source: Journal Star, Police, IDOT caution motorists to buckle up, be ready for checks, Eric Engel, 21 November 2011
]]>Five states in the U.S. have also passed laws allowing for overdue child support payments to be taken out of a parent's casino winnings. Illinois lawmakers have tried to introduce similar legislation but have met resistance not only from casino owners, but also the state agency that enforces child support orders.
Casino Winnings for Child Support
In states that require casinos to collect back child support payments from casino winnings, casino employees check a database to see if the person owes child support before paying out the person's winnings. In Colorado, the casinos are not required to do the checks unless a person wins at least $1,200 - the same amount at which a person needs to fill out a federal tax form. Those who win at table games only get checked if they win at least $600 under 300-to-one odds or more.
]]> The states that have laws allowing for collection of child support payments from casino winnings have been remarkably successful in getting money to children who need it. Colorado's law took effect in 2008, and the state has seized 810 casino winnings for over $1.25 million since then. Indiana passed its law in 2010, and the state has seized casino winnings 382 times for $736,000 in its first year.Resistance in Illinois
Despite the success in other states, child support officials at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in Illinois are hesitant to support such legislation in Illinois. They voiced concerns about how labor intensive it would be for the casinos to do the background checks required and what type of database the state would have to design to allow for such checks.
Casino owners also oppose the idea. Gaming industry leaders argue that other industries are not expected to carry out state functions like collecting delinquent child support and they should not have to either. They claim they need a real-time computer system to check what parents owe so they do not collect on a debt that the winner has already settled. Two of the states with legislation allowing collection of child support arrears from casino winnings have had difficulty implementing such computer systems.
States are always looking for new ways to get parents to comply with child support orders. Seizing casino winnings is the latest in a long series of attempts to get money to the children who need it. If you are in need of advice regarding a child support matter, contact an experienced family law attorney who can advise you of all of your options.
Source: Chicago Tribune, More states are deducting child support from casino jackpots, but not Illinois, Bill Ruthart, 4 October 2011
]]>Graduated Driver Licensing in Illinois
The GDL program in Illinois initially requires new drivers, ages 15 and 16, to hold a learner's permit for a minimum of nine months. Before taking the driving test, teens with learner's permits are required to take 50 hours of supervised training, including 10 hours at night.
Those 16 and 17-year-olds that become licensed drivers enter an intermediate stage where several restrictions apply. These include limits on the amount of younger passengers and restrictions on nighttime driving.
]]> These requirements have resulted in some teens waiting until they turn 18 to obtain their license. License applicants 18 or older do not have to take a drivers' education course or face any restrictions on passengers or nighttime driving.Increase in Car Accidents for New 18-year-old Drivers
The national study, published this September in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found a 68 percent drop in car accident fatalities for those ages 16 to 17 in states with GDL. When 18 year-olds begin driving without restrictions, however, their fatality rate was higher than 18 year-olds in those states without GDL.
More specifically, looking at motor vehicle accidents from 1986-2007, the analysis showed a 26 percent decrease in fatal accidents for 16-year-olds, but a 12 percent increase for drivers who were age 18. One teen from South Elgin summed it up, "You're eliminating one problem, but you're creating one later on."
Illinois, however, seems to be going against this national trend. Fatal accidents for 18-year-olds have decreased since the implementation of the GDL program. Experts are not sure why the trend in Illinois is so different, but pointed to the state's high rate of seat-belt use and Operation Teen Safe Driving program as possible factors.
Source: Chicago Tribune, Illinois safe driving task force to target high fatality rate of ne 18-year-old drivers, Ted Gregory, 28 September 2011
]]>At Brady & Jensen, we assist clients throughout Kane County and the surrounding areas who have suffered a serious injury or lost a loved one. We know how to quickly determine the next step in your personal injury case.
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