False HBP readings scam Kentucky

[Berta]

In part:

"The OIG team reviewed more than 5,000 of PCP-1’s patient encounters from October 1, 2015, through December 26, 2017. Of these, 1,370 were primary care encounters during which the patients had diagnoses that placed them at greater risk for adverse clinical outcomes (defined in this report as death, a change in the course of treatment or diagnosis, or a significant change in the patient’s level of care) if/when their BPs were not well controlled. The OIG’s review found that in 1,364 of the 1,370 encounters (99.5 percent), PCP-1 documented repeat BPs of 128/78."

and 

"PCP-1 told the OIG team that documentation of the 128/78 BP readings was done to “turn off” the clinical reminder and provided several rationales for this conduct. The OIG team did not find the explanations plausible and concluded that PCP-1’s falsification of BP readings was most likely an effort to reduce workload as normal BPs would not require further intervention or documentation. "

This is a chilling situation and one more way VA can harm or kill a veteran...or many veterans.

 

 

https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-18-01963-284.pdf

 

[SgtStelmo]

Yes this is a sad, sad situation.  But let me take it one step further.  (Yes, I know when I do this my local facility asserts I am crazy, but so be it.).  I maintain this is criminal conduct, and the VAOIG should refer the matter to the DOJ for criminal prosecution.  There is a federal criminal statute codified at 18 U. S. C., Section 1001.  The short title for this criminal law is 'false statements'.  (Ret. Gen. Flynn et al. can give us the low down on this I suppose.)

So not let us review the elements of proof necessary to establish this crime.  First, a VA appointment is an official proceeding of the executive branch of government.  So the first prong requiring an official proceeding of the executive, legislative or judicial branch is met.

Second, is the statement false.  In this situation the nurse (I am assuming it is a nurse as it is not explicit.) admits the reading he/she put in the record did not reflect the actual BP reading.  Thus the statement is not true, ergo false.

Third, is the false statement material.  Well the VAOIG found that in 99.5 % of cases it could result in catastrophic results.  Sounds material to me.

The last and final element of proof necessary is if the false statement was intentionally done.  Not only did the person admit they intentionally altered the reading but they explained why they did so.

So every single element of proof a prosecutor would need to establish is found in this brief article.  People like this, be in within or outside the VA, need to be prosecuted and punished.  

But the reality is that very few VA crimes are prosecuted.  And when there is no deterrent one witnesses what happens.  Sad on steroids!

[broncovet]

Yes, its chilling and hits too close to home.    Often, when they take my blood pressure on an automatic machine, a nurse will repeat the procedure "manually", where the human listens and records my blood pressure as oppossed to a machine.  The "manual" reading is almost always at/near normal, where the machine often says i have high blood pressure.  

If this automatic blood pressure machine is so inaccurate, then why not get rid of it and replace it with one which is more accurate, or at least calibrate it, if necessary?  What possible good is a blood pressure machine where the docs and nurses dont trust the readings there anyway?  

I tend to favor the machine..tho machines are not perfect, at least there isnt "human error" when taking a blood pressure reading.  

 

About 8 years ago, my (other PCP, which I trust more), said I had borderline hbp.  However, the new doc, not as thorough, says its normal, after I have aged 8 years?  I think Im gonna get "independent" bp tests, especially being my wife is a nurse!  However, most Vets dont have a wife who is a retired RN to look after them.  

However, one thing we learned with VA scandals:  If it happens one place, it probably happens again, even tho the va will deny deny deny that this is a trend, and always "blame" low level employees.   Therefore, If I find out they are fudging blood pressure numbers, here, then I will howl like willie coyote.  

[Vync]

During BP/temp triage, my VA nurses didn't need the BP machine indicator. They just usually told me the initial reading was too high. So, they just asked me to wait a moment and took it again, sometimes more than once. They only entered the lower of the numbers and did not indicate it took a second or third reading during triage (checked my treatment notes).