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February 05, 2024, Part B News
AI Proliferates: Coding and Chat Remain Fertile Ground, But Watch Decision-Making
Sue Boisvert, BSN, MHSA, CPPS, CPHRM, DFASHRM, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, discusses the benefits of AI in medical coding for streamlining processes, but emphasizes the necessity of human oversight to ensure accuracy and mitigate potential biases.

Jun 17, 2022
Industry and Company News
Announcements during the second quarter of 2022 include the 15-year anniversary of our Tribute Plan, a member dividend, and the continuation of an exclusive endorsement by the New York County Medical Society.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Video Oct 16, 2024
What Types of Bias Might Be Present Within AI Tools?
I. Glenn Cohen, JD, Deputy Dean and James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Faculty Director, Petri-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, discusses what biases can be present in AI and how that will affect implementation of the technology in healthcare.

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.

August 13, 2024, California Department of Insurance
Commissioner Lara announces appointments to the CAARP Advisory Board, the CIGA Board of Governors, COIN Advisory Board, and the WCIRB Governing Committee
TC Wilson, Chief Investment Officer of The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, is reappointed to the California Organized Investment Network (COIN) Advisory Board. COIN was established in 1996 within the Department of Insurance to guide insurers on making financially sound investments that yield environmental benefits throughout California and social benefits within the state’s underserved communities.

Aug 27, 2019
Electronic Health Records Continue to Lead to Medical Malpractice Suits
Darrell Ranum, JD, Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk Management
We analyzed 216 medical malpractice claims that closed from 2010 to 2018 in which EHRs contributed to patient injury. The pace of these claims grew, from a low of seven cases in 2010 to an average of 22.5 cases per year in 2017 and 2018. As EHRs approach near-universal adoption, they may become a more prevalent source of patient safety risk.

Professional Education
Delayed Diagnosis of Sepsis (Claims Corner CME)
In reviewing closed malpractice claims, The Doctors Company has identified delayed diagnosis and treatment of sepsis as a serious problem that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. This article highlights the importance of timely recognition of symptoms that point to a diagnosis of sepsis, and the need for quick initiation of treatment. Factors contributing to the delayed diagnosis and treatment of sepsis are discussed, including clinical judgment errors such as failure to note the importance of significant clinical symptoms, failure to seriously consider sepsis as high on the differential diagnosis, failure to use a sepsis recognition tool as an adjunct to the exam, failure to order appropriate tests to rule out sepsis before assuming another diagnosis, and failure to admit the patient to the hospital for treatment.

Oct 04, 2024
Detecting and Addressing Incidental Findings: Medical Malpractice Claims
Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, and Angela Jordan, RN, MHSc, Patient Safety Analyst, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company, Part of TDC Group
With the use of current imaging technology, it has become more common to find abnormalities, or “incidental findings,” that are unrelated to the reason the imaging was ordered. This review of closed claims from The Doctors Company examines factors that contribute to missed incidental findings and offers strategies to improve follow-up and prevent patient harm.

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