December 13, 2022
The Doctors Company, the nation's largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer and part of TDC Group, is offering a new lecture series.
December 13, 2022
Over 1 million total hip and knee replacements are completed annually in the United States. Dramatic increases are projected for both the total number of procedures and the proportion of procedures performed in the ambulatory setting.
May 4, 2022
Because a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) can happen in any healthcare setting, it is imperative that all healthcare providers and staff have the ability to spot the signs and symptoms promptly.
April 11, 2022
Under "normal" circumstances, when a healthcare provider is sued for alleged medical malpractice, it begins an emotional journey the provider wants to end as quickly and favorably as possible.
April 11, 2022
The way we communicate has changed dramatically over the years. Even with the introduction of technology-based communications, such as social networking sites, telemedicine, and texting, the telephone call is still the most widely used communication tool between healthcare providers and patients.
March 4, 2022
Retail medicine and private equity are important drivers of primary care delivery in the U.S., and they are poised to become even more so. Corporate entities have always been involved in healthcare, but now mega corporations—from outside the medical space—are entering the field.
January 18, 2022
As a patient safety problem, diagnostic error differs from wrong-site surgery or medication errors. While we have not yet eliminated these errors, we know that systems-safety interventions like checklists and time-outs make an impact.
December 16, 2021
Robert M. Wachter, MD, began his recent presentation for the Healthcare Risk Advisors (HRA) Virtual Conference Series by admitting to what he jokingly called "the stupidest thing I ever said to a mentee," many years ago: "What will you do after we've implemented our electronic health record?" By now, we have all experienced how the electronic health record (EHR) rollout did not go as planned.
November 18, 2021
As efforts to connect patients and providers through telehealth have accelerated, enabling technology systems to communicate and exchange information has become increasingly important.
November 18, 2021
The main differences between telehealth visits and office-based patient visits are the location of the patient (geography), the insertion of technology between the provider and the patient, and the performance of the physical assessment.
August 20, 2021
On April 5, 2021, a requirement of the 21st Century Cures Act went into effect: Patients must be able to access information in their EHRs "without delay." (This requirement does not apply to paper records.) The Cures Act prohibition against information blocking, often referred to as an "open notes" provision, provides patients with transparency in the outcomes of their healthcare via convenient access to information in their EHR, which can positively or negatively impact the patient-doctor relationship.
June 28, 2021
Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven of value in the COVID-19 pandemic and shows promise for mitigating future healthcare crises. During the pandemic's first wave in New York, for example, Mount Sinai Health System used an algorithm to help identify patients ready for discharge. Such systems can help overburdened hospitals manage personnel and the flow of supplies in a medical crisis so they can continue to provide superior patient care.
June 8, 2021
The pandemic has raised pressing questions around preventive measures, vaccines, and safe treatment, but it has also obscured one key lingering uncertainty for medical professionals: Where are all the medical malpractice claims?
April 6, 2021
Severity—the average cost of a medical malpractice claim—continues its relentless increase.
April 6, 2021
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of remote patient monitoring was expanding.
February 24, 2021
When it comes to using telehealth to treat patients out of state, most physicians are mindful about licensure issues. But some are not aware that if you don't have a license to practice medicine in a given state, it isn't just malpractice: It's a criminal offense.
January 26, 2021
As healthcare providers prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, many face questions regarding best practices for vaccine administration, as well as documentation. Answers to the frequently asked questions below will help your practice protect patients and staff while mitigating liability risks.
January 26, 2021
As the early phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout occurs across the United States, physicians should proactively prepare for the upcoming administration of vaccines to the general population. This includes implementing a plan to initiate effective informed consent conversations with patients to guide them to an informed decision about the vaccine.
January 6, 2021
Across the continuum of care during COVID-19 pandemic, what has changed is not so much the direction of healthcare evolution, but its speed. For the next decade, we will all be carried along on a jet stream of change.
December 3, 2020
As the pandemic hits its third nationwide surge, families are gathering for the holidays, and practices are preparing for a potential increase in cases.
November 3, 2020
For months, physicians and practice managers have been in crisis mode due to COVID-19 and have faced daunting challenges daily. What the future holds relative to the evolution of COVID-19 remains unknown, but it is certain that litigation for COVID-related claims is on the horizon and will impact physicians in all medical specialties and practice models.
October 1, 2020
Across the spectrum of care, healthcare delivery is changing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, creating additional pressures to maintain patient safety and shaping new liability risks for hospitals, group practices, and solo physicians.
September 8, 2020
Each year, The Doctors Company assembles healthcare leaders to discuss the most pressing issues affecting physicians, practices, and systems across the spectrum of care.
August 10, 2020
For decades, consent documents have helped protect physicians against the claims of dissatisfied patients. Times have changed, however, and modern medicine requires a more complex and complete acknowledgment of both the patient's and the physician's rights and responsibilities to each other.
July 16, 2020
As a company founded and led by physicians, we have unique insight into medical liability and the factors that lead to lawsuits against doctors.
May 28, 2020
While most resources are directed at screening for COVID-19 and treating affected patients, there is another important aspect of the pandemic: the impact on your patients' mental health.
April 30, 2020
As state and local governments determine that criteria have been met to implement Phase One of the federal Opening Up America Again Guidelines, medical offices will begin reopening—and will need to make modifications to keep patients and office staff safe.
April 8, 2020
To support the medical profession during this unprecedented time, the following are answers to some frequently asked questions regarding telemedicine.
January 6, 2020
Clear and unambiguous communication constitutes the key component of the physician-patient relationship.
November 7, 2019
On behalf of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), I would like to acknowledge The Doctors Company’s highlighting of the opioid epidemic and safe prescribing practices. The Doctors Company’s social media surveys of physicians, as well as national data, demonstrate that the medical community is responding to the message about safe prescribing and is exploring solutions.
September 26, 2019
The Doctors Company analyzed 649 claims against two types of advanced practice providers (APPs): physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). The analysis revealed that the most common patient allegations in both PA and NP claims were related to diagnosis.
August 29, 2019
The Doctors Company's analysis of claims in which EHRs contributed to injury show a total of 216 claims closed from 2010-2018. The pace of these claims grew, from a low of 7 cases in 2010 to an average of 22.5 cases per year in 2017 and 2018.
July 31, 2019
What would you do if you saw a TV ad about a lawsuit against a drug company over a medication prescribed by your physician that you were currently taking?
June 28, 2019
Just as it is an acceptable and reasonable practice to screen incoming patients, it is acceptable and reasonable to know when to end patient relationships that are no longer therapeutic. It is critical, however, to end the patient relationship in a manner that will not lead to claims of discrimination or abandonment.
June 4, 2019
Ensuring safe and quality healthcare for all patients requires physicians to understand how each patient's sociocultural background affects his or her health beliefs and behavior.
May 1, 2019
Research shows that an overwhelming majority of victims of human trafficking see a medical or dental professional during captivity. Medical and dental providers and their staff should be trained to recognize the signs of human trafficking and know what steps to take.
March 7, 2019
Since 2013, the number of U.S. consumers tracking their health data with wearables has doubled. And that number continues to rise: During the third quarter of 2018, the wearables market saw a nearly 60 percent increase in earnings over the prior year. Wearables bring promise, but also real risks for patient safety and physician liability.
February 4, 2019
Changes to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Quality Payment Program that went into effect on January 1, 2019, allow physicians to focus more on patients and less on redundant documentation. Kim Hathaway, MSN, CPHRM, healthcare quality patient safety and risk consultant with The Doctors Company, reviews the changes.
January 2, 2019
Physicians are concerned about the quality of care they provide to patients—that is, after all, the reason they chose the profession. But physicians today report being so disappointed with the present state of medical practice. Bill Fleming, chief operating officer of The Doctors Company, discusses the results from The Future of Healthcare Survey and what they mean for physicians and the medical profession.
July 3, 2018
When alleged sexual harassment is reported in the healthcare workplace, it affects many individuals in the practice. This article provides tips on how to protect physician practices from sexual harassment lawsuits.
May 3, 2018
Growing administrative demands and distractions in our complex healthcare system conflict with how physicians want to provide care—contributing to alarming rates of physician burnout and potentially leading to more adverse events and compromising patient safety.
May 3, 2018
More and more of our society is shifting to greater transparency and the medical profession is leading the switch. With greater transparency comes improved patient safety and mitigated risk.
April 9, 2018
The Doctors Company analyzed 67 claims against nurse practitioners that closed over a six-year period from January 2011 through December 2016. These claims arose in family medicine and internal medicine practices.
March 21, 2018
Nearly all hospitals and 80 percent of medical practices use electronic health records. The problem is that none of these digital tools were designed specifically to advance the practice of good medicine.
February 1, 2018
Although it's a reality that the majority of physicians will face a malpractice claim, few are prepared when served with a lawsuit.
January 4, 2018
Recent fires, hurricanes, and floods nationwide have highlighted the importance of planning for disasters. Physicians are critical participants in disaster preparedness, ensuring that patient care and critical services are not interrupted—especially for at-risk individuals who may have special medical needs.
December 13, 2017
Almost a year ago, Congress established the Quality Payment Program (QPP) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). While designed to improve patient health outcomes, encourage practices to spend wisely, minimize the burden of practice participation, and be fair and transparent, the program has been difficult for many medical practices to implement. The government recently announced 2018 changes to this program. But don’t be dismayed. Many of these changes add flexibility and higher exemption requirements—welcome news to medical practices.
December 13, 2017
More than ever, physicians are focusing on treatment plans that include the kind of care patients need at home. However, physicians face potential liability when patients refuse help that is offered or neglect to follow up as instructed. If a patient sues, even a verdict in favor of the physician does not negate the time, expense, and emotional impact of a lawsuit. Consider this example: A 67-year-old male with a history of obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular disease had seen the same physician for 20 years. During one hospitalization, the patient was put on the blood thinner Coumadin. The physician and the discharge nurse both educated the patient and his wife about the risks of Coumadin use and the importance of having blood work done every month.
November 8, 2017
Taking a close look at research into real-life malpractice claims and incorporating some of the findings into their practices is one way physicians are reducing risks of adverse events.
November 8, 2017
The number of closed malpractice claims in which EHRs are a contributing factor increased continuously over the past 10 years. This study of EHR claims identifies the most common patient allegations and the specific factors contributing to patient injury.
November 8, 2017
A study by The Doctors Company and CRICO Strategies found that a significant proportion of liability cases involving cardiovascular disease were due to errors of diagnosis and the real liability danger doesn't come from unusual or ambiguous cases, but from the relatively straightforward ones.
October 19, 2017
As the end of the third quarter of 2017 approaches, practices that have not yet developed their MACRA plan face great urgency to complete their plan—and those who have started may be feeling overwhelmed. Regardless of the reporting stage, these steps can help guide practices to succeed.
September 18, 2017
Ted Abernathy, MD, Managing Partner of Pediatric & Adolescent Health Partners, discusses his experience with The Doctors Company’s risk assessment service, which his practice used to improve communications and make better use of their electronic health records to reduce risks.
September 18, 2017
Opioids play an important role in pain management—both in acute and chronic settings. However, the dramatic increase in opioid use over the past few decades has resulted in a crisis of addiction and death. This article provides information on claims in which opioids resulted in patient harm and a summary of guidelines for prescribing opioids.
July 31, 2017
When it comes to cybersecurity, more than money and IT security are at risk—patient safety is also compromised by a cyberattack.
July 11, 2017
The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to a number of unintended consequences—particularly a negative effect on doctor satisfaction and practice workflow. Medical practices have tried many different solutions to help alleviate the burden, and one of the most common solutions is the adoption of medical scribes.
July 11, 2017
Will Washington cancel coverage for millions of patients and unleash a tidal wave of litigation on the U.S. healthcare system? I challenge leaders in healthcare and government to address this question.
July 11, 2017
On May 12, 2017, the world’s biggest ransomware attack nearly crippled Britain’s public health system and forced doctors to turn patients away. The WannaCry worm, which experts believe to have come from U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) hacking tools released by Wikileaks, spread quickly to companies and critical infrastructure worldwide. A White House homeland security adviser said that more than 300,000 computers across 150 countries were hit. One cyber risk modeling firm put the total economic damage at $8 billion. Since the attack occurred, security researchers have already identified a new strain of malware that could be much more dangerous.
May 12, 2017
Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and opioids account for over 60 percent of those deaths.1 While opioids are effective pain medications when used in the proper setting, concerns arise when the patient’s condition lasts longer than three months, and prescribing more medication does not necessarily result in better pain control.
May 12, 2017
In the mid-1970s, malpractice lawsuits and skyrocketing jury awards caused commercial insurance companies to raise physicians’ malpractice rates by as much as 400 percent. The practice of medicine was deemed to be “uninsurable.” Thousands of physicians faced cancellation of their policies. As a result, doctors came together to form their own companies to provide affordable and sustainable coverage. However, today’s physicians need more.
April 3, 2017
No matter how professional and caring a doctor you may be, eventually you will face criticism on the web. Here are five keys to managing that criticism.
February 20, 2017
Heart disease is the leading killer of women, responsible for one in every four female deaths, and this danger was highlighted by the tragic death of actress Carrie Fisher in late 2016. But almost two-thirds of women who die suddenly from heart disease had no previous symptoms.1 Diagnosis of an impending heart attack in a woman may be more difficult, as women often show different early signs and symptoms than men.
December 16, 2016
Patients with suicidal thoughts or ideation appear occasionally in physician encounters. Any patient, no matter what issue is being treated and in any setting, could be at risk for suicide. A consistent and formal screening process, plus a response plan, will protect both the patient and the physician.
November 11, 2016
Each member of a healthcare team plays an important role in reducing the number of incidents that cause patient dissatisfaction.
November 11, 2016
The bar has been raised on HIPAA and ransomware attacks. Under its recently released guidance, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) now presumes that a ransomware attack compromises electronic protected health information (ePHI)—unless the HIPAA-covered entity can prove otherwise.
November 11, 2016
The digitization of medicine is transforming the entire healthcare system. New technologies like mobile apps and wearables bring both benefits and risks, patient access to healthcare is evolving, EHRs have created new patient safety risks, and artificial intelligence is evolving to play a role in future patient care. How can doctors adapt to these massive changes?
November 11, 2016
The U.S. has one of the safest drug and medication supply systems in the world, in part due to careful regulation in the face of globalization and increasing threats to the supply chain. However, according to the FDA, there is a growing network of rogue wholesale drug distributors selling potentially unsafe drugs in the U.S. market.
November 11, 2016
Differences in the early symptoms and signs of an impending heart attack in women may make diagnosis more difficult compared to men. In a study of closed medical malpractice claims involving undiagnosed heart disease in women from 2011 to 2015, The Doctors Company found that in 70 percent of claims the patient died when her heart condition was not correctly diagnosed and 28 percent had heart muscle damage from myocardial infarction.
November 11, 2016
It’s not uncommon for diabetic patients to file claims against their diabetes care team for failure to properly diagnose, supervise, monitor, and/or treat their disease. This article outlines ways physicians can have effective conversations with their patients to decrease malpractice risks.
November 11, 2016
Cybercrime costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year and causes organizations to devote substantial time and resources to keeping their information secure. This is even more important for healthcare organizations, the most frequently attacked form of business. The Doctors Company's expert resources, including free CME, videos, infographic, and cybersecurity report, can help protect healthcare organizations and physician practices from this emerging area of risk.
November 11, 2016
Cloud storage is a convenient and cost-effective solution for medical practices and facilities, but precautions must be taken to ensure stored patient data is secure. This article has tips for choosing a cloud service provider.
November 11, 2016
The web is a powerful tool for physicians. Establishing your online presence on social media allows you to engage with patients, grow your reputation, and make your voice heard. These resources can help you get started on social media and expand your online presence.
November 11, 2016
This review of 429 cardiology claims identifies the most common patient allegations and the specific factors contributing to patient injury. All physicians should take note of this study because a variety of specialties tend to be named in these lawsuits.
November 4, 2015
Risk Tip | Teamwork—an essential part of a safety culture—has come to the forefront as the most effective way of catching individual errors before they occur and of mitigating system failures. In the OR, for example, studies have shown that implementing team training is associated with a significant decrease in surgical mortality.1,2 The team approach is not new, but its value and definition are changing. Good communication, along with a focused team approach in dealing with problems, can make a positive difference in any outcome.
July 1, 2015
Risk Tip | Practices and hospitals that employ advanced practice providers (APPs), including nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can experience many benefits, such as lower operating overhead, increased physician time with patients, and improved patient education and satisfaction. However, employers of APPs should consider implementing effective risk management measures to help ensure that the benefits of using APPs are not at the expense of increased liability exposure.
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