8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Session #100
Introduction into LNC
Patricia Costantini, RN, MEd, LPC, CRC, CCM, CLCP, LNCC, D-ABVE, Costantini Rehab, Inc.
Deborah Nellis, RN MSN LNCC, Independent Legal Nurse Consultant

Nurses' expertise was recognized in the legal arena as early as the 1970's, but the roles of legal nurse consultants have expanded dramatically in recent years. As careers in health care continue to increase and change, many nurses are drawn to legal nurse consulting where their skills and expertise are in demand. This one-day preconference session will focus on introductory information about the specialty practice of legal nurse consulting. Topics will include LNC fundamentals such as: legal terminology, types of litigation, plaintiff and defense perspectives, practice settings, and expert witness roles. A case study will be utilized to illustrate expert witness selection in a medical malpractice and wrongful death case.

$240 Member/$280 Non member

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Pre-Conference Session #101
Medical-Legal Issues in Ophthalmology
Andrew Dahl, MD FACS, Ophthalmology Consultants

A significant percentage of medical litigation involves eye disorders. These include cases of alleged medical negligence or malpractice, product liability, workers' compensation, fraud and abuse, non-malpractice personal injury and criminal actions. Dahl will present real-world examples of the issues facing legal nurse consultants when confronted with a case involving the visual system.

$60 Member/$70 nonmember

Pre-Conference Session #102
Common Areas of Litigation in Obstetrical Malpractice
Patricia Fedorka, PhD RNC, Robert Morris University and Allegheny General Hospital

Obstetric cases are one of the most frequently litigated areas of medical malpractice. A review of obstetrical litigation reflects recurring themes that are frequently cited as the basis for the legal proceedings. Fedorka will analyze the high-risk areas most often encountered in obstetrical malpractice cases. She will also review the identification and analysis of these areas and the salient points for evaluating whether the standard of care was met. Discussion topics will include interpretation of fetal heart rate tracings, Pitocin use and misuse, standard nursing interventions for non-reassuring fetal heart rate tracings and the implementation of the chain-of-command in specific clinical scenarios. It is important for legal nurse consultants (plaintiff- or defense-focused) to understand this information when assisting in the initial review of med-mal cases.

$60 Member/$70 nonmember

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Session #103
Long-term Implications of Catastrophic Burns
Shelene Giles, MS BSN BA RN CRC CNLCP MSCC, FIG Services, Inc.

Each year, more than one million people in the US seek medical care for burns. Statistics show men are burned more often, and the average age of a burn victim is 33 years. Survival rates are increasing with advanced technology in specialized burn care -- one of the most complicated and costly areas of medicine. There are numerous medical and psychological factors affecting the burn survivor's recovery and participation in society. Nurses involved in litigation cases must understand the long-term implications of burn injuries in the settlement process.

$60 Member/$70 nonmember

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Pre-Conference Session #104
Common Errors in the Hematology/Oncology World: A Legal World Approach
Sharon MacEwen, RN BSN ACLNC, HONE Consulting
Co-Speakers: Lisa Schulmeister, RN MN APRN-BC OCN FAAN and Cyndi Maag, RN, BA, LNCC

In the legal world, hematology and oncology cases have been considered especially difficult to pursue, as causation and damages are difficult to determine, much less prove. However, the loss of chance doctrine, an emerging principle of law, has increased the potential liability for healthcare providers since 22 states have adopted this standard.
Statistics show there are more 10 million people in the US currently living with a diagnosis of malignancy and 1.4 million new cases will be added to the tumor registry this year. Coupling these statistics with the fact that cancer is evolving from a terminal condition to a chronic disease state, hematology/oncology lawsuits have become more prevalent. In the high-tech, high-touch world of hematology/oncology, the high-risk, high-hazard nature of treatment modalities (surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy) and their associated expected side effects are naturally dangerous, without the addition of common medical errors.
Additionally, the lifelong nature of living with a cancer diagnosis increases exposure to the potential perils of fractured communication and specialized "knowledge sets," limitations inherent in the healthcare system related to frequent visits to primary care physicians and oncologists, operating rooms, clinics, pharmacies and medical laboratories and admissions to hospitals, emergency rooms, home health services and nursing homes.
This session will explore common errors in hematology/oncology via real-world lawsuits filed against physicians, hospitals and nurses, introduce attendees to emerging legal concepts pertinent to hematology/oncology and explore evolving statistical data on cancer disease trajectories. Attendees will leave this session with new insights to leverage when reviewing and analyzing hematology/oncology cases.

$60 Member/$70 nonmember

Pre-Conference Session #105
Lawsuit Under Construction: Blueprint for Safety
Sandra Colatrella, RN BSN CLNC, Avanti Architecture

Co-Speaker: Susan Fix, JD

The Institute of Medicine reports that one in 27 patients admitted to a hospital is harmed by a preventable error and one in 500 dies as a result, representing approximately 98,000 deaths annually. Accountability for these events has been redefined in a recently announced proposed rule change by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in which the federal government may stop paying hospitals for care associated with six specific "hospital-acquired conditions." Three of the conditions are labeled as "never events," highly preventable errors delineated by the National Quality Forum.

In response to both the financial and legal impact of medical errors, architects and healthcare design researchers advocate "clean design," environmental risk management, standardization and innovative design of healthcare facilities that create positive, empirically measurable outcomes. Evidence-based design research has documented the impact on infection prevention, morbidity reduction and patient safety. Colatrella will discuss design elements that will reduce facility liability and ultimately improve patient well-being.

$60 Member/$70 nonmember