By Dr. Chris Daft What Medical Device Software is What is medical device software? And why would its “standard of care” be an important subject? In simple terms, medical device software is a component of, or an accessory to, a piece of electronics that interacts with the human body (see figure 1). Figure 1: A… read more

By Dr. Chris Daft First, the Wearables Wearables – small electronic devices worn next to clothing to record personal data – have insinuated themselves into the lives of millions of people. After Google Glass, Fitbit and the Apple Watch, the marketplace has become crowded and designs are maturing. Capabilities such as the ability to measure… read more

The National Commission on Forensic Science has called for the attorney general of the United States to replace the term of “reasonable degree of certainty.”  According to the National Commission:        There is no common definition of reasonable certainty. Therefor whether convinced as “scientific certainty” or [discipline] certainty the term is idiosyncratic to the witness. … read more

By Jean Renard Ward Multi-Touch touchscreen technology may be at issue in patent litigation.  In such cases, a multi-touch touchscreen expert witness may be utilized.  The evolutionary history of this technology may be an important fact during multi-touch touchscreen patent litigation. Because of Android smartphones and the iPhone and iPod touch, nearly everyone knows about… read more

By Jean Renard Ward Nowadays, everyone is familiar with gestures on touchscreens from using their smartphone or tablet: gestures such as slide, pinch-to-zoom, swipe (or flick), twist, and press-and-hold (or long press). Smartphones with touchscreens and gestures started taking off with the Apple iPod Touch and iPhone in 2007.  But the technical art of gestures… read more

PLASTIC: THE UBIQUITOUS MATERIAL  Plastics have been an ever-growing part of our way of life – from the first synthetic plastic (Bakelite) developed by Belgian-born chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907[1], to Wallace H. Carothers’s discovery of nylon and the resulting nylon stockings rage of the 1940’s[2], to the Tupperware craze of the 1950’s, to… read more

Sally Damm, LNHA There are currently 1.8 million residents in long-term care facilities. With the population aging, this number can be expected to grow. As the resident population increases, the amount of litigation may also increase.  Allegations of elder abuse and nursing home litigation cases can include both medical and administrative decisions. A licensed nursing… read more

By Sally Damm, LNHA Administration for Community Living, (AIDD) is a sector of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). AIDD provides financial and leadership support to organizations in every state and territory in the United States.  The AIDD exists to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families can fully participate… read more

By: Kenneth C. McCawley, RN         October 5, 2016 OVERVIEW Avoidable pressure ulcer development continues to lead negative health outcomes in skilled nursing facilities. Many of these negative health outcomes can be attributed to medical negligence.  The following statistics are in relation to pressure ulcer development: Number Affected: 2.5 million patients per year. Cost: Pressure ulcers… read more

By Sally Damm There is a grave societal concern when a matured person experiences a fall, but if that falls occurs in a nursing home there is added fear and alarm. After all, didn’t placement in the nursing home provide the security of no more falling? Falls are a common occurrence among elderly citizens, when… read more