Failure to Arrange Ophthalmology Appointment for Visually Impaired Resident
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a history of visual impairment, who required eyeglasses, had a physician order for an ophthalmology consult and treatment as indicated. The resident reported that his vision had worsened recently, even while wearing his glasses, and stated that he had not been seen by an ophthalmologist or had his vision tested in over a year. The resident recalled having an appointment scheduled with an eye doctor, but it was canceled, and he was unaware of the reason for the cancellation. Record review showed that the ophthalmology appointment was canceled because the provider did not accept the resident's insurance, and no subsequent appointment was scheduled from the time of cancellation through the review period. The DON confirmed awareness of the canceled appointment and acknowledged that a new appointment had not been arranged. Facility policy required social services to coordinate and arrange for physician-ordered services in a timely manner, but this was not followed in the resident's case.