Monday, August 14, 2017

Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) of Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 14 August 2017 "Healthcare Inspection – Magnetic Resonance Imaging Patient Safety Screening, Central Alabama VA Healthcare System, Montgomery, Alabama"

Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) of Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 14 August 2017 "Healthcare Inspection – Magnetic Resonance Imaging Patient Safety Screening, Central Alabama VA Healthcare System, Montgomery, Alabama"
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Healthcare Inspection – Magnetic Resonance Imaging Patient Safety Screening, Central Alabama VA Healthcare System, Montgomery, Alabama
OIG conducted a healthcare inspection to assess whether safety screenings were performed and documented prior to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (system), Montgomery, AL. The system has an agreement with a Department of Defense clinic, Lyster Army Health Clinic (Lyster), for MRI services. Lyster staff do not have access to VA electronic health records (EHRs) and system staff do not have access to Lyster EHRs. A powerful magnetic field around MRI scanners creates safety risks. Safety screening is a critical to alert staff of patients’ electronic, mechanical, or magnetic implants. VHA requires pre-MRI initial and secondary safety screenings. We did not find a VHA or system policy addressing documentation requirements of MRI safety screening forms completed at non-VA facilities. We reviewed 158 of 2,753 MRI orders (6 percent) completed at the system or at Lyster from September 22, 2014 through September 22, 2015, to assess documentation of initial and secondary safety screenings. In September 2015, the system took steps to ensure that staff completed initial safety screening forms when the MRI was ordered for patients receiving MRIs at Lyster. We found 17 patients who received MRIs at Lyster without initial safety screenings. However, Lyster staff had completed and documented the secondary safety screenings in the Lyster EHRs, and completed the MRIs. We reviewed the 158 patients for secondary screenings. Secondary safety screening forms were not available in VHA EHRs but were in the Lyster EHRs; copies of the completed forms would be made available upon request. To evaluate safety screening documentation after September 2015, we reviewed 50 of 475 MRI orders (10.5 percent) placed in July 2016. Ten of the 50 were excluded. We found that the remaining MRI orders included the initial safety screening in the VHA EHR.
Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG)
801 I Street North West
Washington, D.C. 20536, United States
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