ECMO Therapy: Is it still a “Hail Mary” or could it become the Standard of Care?

On-Demand

COVID-19 has resulted in unprecedented global health and economic challenges. The reported mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation is high. Enter Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, long heralded as a salvage therapy or “Hail Mary” to save the most critically ill ICU patients, is now looked to as an accepted lifesaving rescue therapy for a minority of patients with COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic along with media stories concerning trauma patients and other seriously ill patients being saved through this therapy have placed ECMO within the public spotlight. Nationally, its availability is limited. And with good reason. ECMO is a costly and risky treatment that comes with many possible complications. Nonetheless, ECMO’s use and success will continue to be highlighted in the mass media and likely drive demand for its use. Risk managers should be aware of associate population health issues including patient selection guidelines, as well as clinical, financial and organizational risks related to this resource intensive therapy. This session will provide an overview of these risks and where the risk manager may look for solutions.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the use, benefits and availability of ECMO therapy
2. Identify clinical, financial and organizational risks associated with availability of ECMO therapy
3. Discuss the accepted guidelines of care with regard to population health and selection guidelines

Speakers:

Scott D. Buchholz, Esq., is a senior partner and trial attorney of the law firm of Dummit, Buchholz & Trapp, having offices throughout California. Mr. Buchholz’s practice includes representation of healthcare clients in matters involving medical/pharmacy malpractice and business litigation. He received his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University, graduate degree in economics from the Temple University School of Business and his law degree from Rutgers University. He is a member of ASHRM and has been a CPHRM.

Victoria G. Stairs, Esq., is Associate General Counsel at Sound Inpatient Physicians, Inc., overseeing claims, litigation, and enterprise risk management. Victoria oversees the organization’s insurance programs; she designed, built and implemented the organization’s patient safety organization; and she provides real time risk guidance to clinicians. Sound Physicians and its affiliated hospital based medical groups treat patients in the acute care setting in the areas of hospital medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, and anesthesia. Ms. Stairs presents a unique legal perspective in her role as in-house counsel and risk manager for this medical group which includes intensivists overseeing ECMO therapies.

Member: $39.00
Non-Member: $99.00