VAOIG Inspection of Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia Reveals Patient Stroke Symptoms Were Ignored

Healthcare Inspection Quality of Care, Documentation, and Courtesy Issues Hampton VA Medical Center Hampton, Virginia 09/19/09. We conducted this evaluation in response to allegations of related to quality of care, documentation, and courtesy issues in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, VA. We substantiated the allegation that the treating physician did not conduct an adequate work-up of the patient’s stroke symptoms, and that the ED physician improperly copied and pasted another patient’s laboratory results into the medical record of the complainant. Despite VHA guidelines, the medical center did not monitor use of the copy and paste function. We determined that staff did not promptly respond to the patient’s concerns. We could not confirm that the patient’s blood pressure was inaccurately recorded or that the physician was discourteous. We made four recommendations to address the identified conditions. VAOIG

VA Hospital Ignored Vet's Stroke 09/19/09. The inspector general of the of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has found the Hampton VA Medical Center at fault after a doctor there failed to diagnose a vet's stroke, leaving him permanently disabled. The investigation also found that the vet's medical record contained lab results from another patient. Military.com