A hospital opens itself to claims based on failure to disclose potential risks if consent forms do not clearly identify worst-case scenarios. Patients who do not get all of the facts about risks involved in a procedure are not considered to be properly informed. As uncomfortable as it is to hear what the risks are, patients and their families need all the available information to make a rational decision about their treatment. The key risk management issue here is the importance of recognizing the potential dangers posed by a given procedure and properly informing the patient of them. In the case of cardiac caths, it is dangerous not to keep an operating room available to deal with complications.
Facilities often base policies and procedures on their previous experience.
In this case, however, the hospital continued to operate under a previous policy despite the fact that several patients had died during caths. It is also important to establish policies and procedures to ensure that emergency facilities are available before potentially life-threatening, procedures are started. Communication links should be established to make clear that a particular operating room is being reserved while a procedure is taking place in another part of the hospital. A second, equally important risk management issue is the information included on consent forms. Disclosure or consent forms should clearly identify risks, including the possibility of death.