Nov 18, 2024
Nuclear Verdicts in Healthcare: How Social Inflation Impacts Physicians, Patients, and the Future of Medicine
Social inflation increases the price of healthcare. It ratchets up the costs of doing business for healthcare professionals and facilities, and fear of litigation inspires defensive medicine. Fortunately, through tort reform, states may be able to contain social inflation’s effects on healthcare costs.
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Jun 18, 2021
Study of Emergency Department Diagnosis Case Type Malpractice Claims: Abstract
A study of diagnosis-type closed medical malpractice claims from care that occurred in the ED from 2014 through the second quarter of 2019 using closed coded claims from The Doctors Company.
Professional Education
Urinary Tract Injury Following Gynecologic Surgery: Mitigating Risks (The Doctor's Advocate CME)
A recent review of gynecologic surgery claims involving urinary tract fistulas reveals the importance of expanding the scope of the informed consent conversation prior to surgery.
January 30, 2024, MDLinx
A Georgia Man's Failed Heart Transplant Culminates In a $38.6M Malpractice Verdict Against Emory Healthcare
Robert White, President of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, discusses some of the causes of the rise in high-dollar medical malpractice verdicts.
February 08, 2024, Becker's ASC Review
Malpractice Mega-Verdicts Hit Record High
Robert White, President of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, discusses how a rollback of tort reform could be a factor in the rise of nuclear malpractice verdicts.
Professional Education
Delayed Diagnosis of Stroke: Case Review for Advanced Practice Clinicians
In reviewing closed malpractice claims, The Doctors Company identified diagnostic failure as a reoccurring problem and one of the top three leading allegations that result in malpractice claims. This failure often leads to a delay in treatment and causes significant harm to patients. The following highlights the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke. Factors contributing to delay diagnosis and treatment included failure to recognize the window (“last known well time”) for tissue plasminogen activator-clot buster (tPA) failure to order a stat MRI and neurology consult, failed communication among providers regarding changes of recurring symptoms of ischemic stroke, failure to appreciate new signs and symptoms of a stroke, and poor or inconsistent documentation. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has identified the top three causes of serious harm from diagnostic failure. Number one is ischemic stroke.
March 09, 2023, Medscape
Who Can Sue Docs for Wrongful Death? Some States Are Trying to Expand That Group
Remi Stone, Director of Government Relations, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, and Peter Kolbert, JD, Senior Vice President, Claim & Litigation Services, Healthcare Risk Advisors, part of TDC Group, discuss potential implications of wrongful death legislation.
Professional Education
Loss Lessons: Practicing Out of Bounds
Unlicensed staff are vital to efficient patient flow in medical practice. Healthcare organizations have many tasks that are safely and effectively carried out by skilled unlicensed support staff every day. To reach such efficiencies with safety and reliability, careful attention must be given to scope of practice and state and local statutes regarding delegation and supervision. Policies and protocols that outline the scope of practice for unlicensed staff to follow independently, and when they must consult with licensed staff, help even the most talented of your staff understand their boundaries. This case illustrates how informal verbal guidelines can blur the lines and cause well-meaning staff to cross the boundary lines of their scope leading to misdiagnosis and death.
AM Best Affirms The Doctors Company's ‘A' Excellent Financial Rating and Upgrades the Financial Rating of Hospitals Insurance Company to ‘A’
AM Best has affirmed The Doctors Company's financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and its long-term issuer credit rating (ICR) of "a+”. The outlook of these ratings is stable.
Mar 20, 2023
Sexual Harassment Allegations in Healthcare: Rising Risks
Healthcare practitioners are not immune from the growing number of reported incidents of alleged sexual harassment in the workplace. This article provides risk mitigation strategies.