Professional Education
Risk Management 101 for Healthcare Professionals: Malpractice, Patient Relations, and Documentation
This is an introductory level course about basic risk management for practicing clinicians focusing on malpractice, patient communication, and documentation. Healthcare professionals new to practice and more experienced will learn the legal elements of a malpractice claim that must be proven for a plaintiff to prevail. We share communication strategies to enhance patient understanding, compliance, and satisfaction while reducing the risk of abandonment when ending patient relationships. We address the importance of documentation, share open notes strategies for success, and strategies to demonstrate quality of care and reduce risk. Documentation examples are provided, as are tips for electronic health record (EHR) and telehealth documentation.
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December 15, 2023, Inside Medical Liability
MPL Cases: What Are the Primary Drivers of High-Indemnity Medical Malpractice Claims?
Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, and Kathrine Soulsby, RN, BSN, Senior Patient Safety Analyst, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, investigate high-dollar medical malpractice litigation and explain how reducing diagnostic errors is paramount to enhancing patient safety and mitigating loss costs.
Overview of Obesity-Related Malpractice Claims
The Doctors Company continues to see an increase in lawsuits involving patients with obesity.
February 23, 2023, Today's Hospitalist
The Pandemic’s Impact on Malpractice Claims
Peter Kolbert, JD, Senior Vice President, Claim & Litigation Services, Healthcare Risk Advisors (HRA), part of TDC Group, discusses the impact the pandemic had on malpractice claims as we approach the third anniversary of COVID-19.
Conditions of Treatment Agreement for New Patients
Consider developing a plan to preemptively manage challenging patient behaviors when they are first identified.
March 15, 2024, MDLinx
Patient Dies During BBL Surgery: Physician Without Surgical Privileges Allegedly Punctures Organs
Richard Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, discusses the importance of having healthcare providers and practices accurately report their credentials.
February 21, 2025, MedCentral
7 Mistakes to Avoid If You Get Sued
Robert White, Jr., President of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, discusses common errors made by physicians that can negatively impact the outcome of a medical malpractice lawsuit.
December 19, 2023, PSQH
Patient Safety Predictions for 2024
Robert E. White Jr., President, and Laura Kline, MBA, CPCU, Senior Vice President of Business Development, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, offer their predictions for what will happen in patient safety and healthcare quality in 2024.
Practice Safety Culture INSIGHT Program
The Practice Safety Culture INSIGHT is a confidential survey that assesses whether daily office routines, management practices, policies, procedures, and communication styles promote patient safety or undermine it. It can be completed online in less than 30 minutes by leadership, clinicians, and supporting staff. The survey measures a range of factors that contribute to a culture of patient safety.
Professional Education
Failure to Rescue a Recurring Post-Surgical Event (Claims Corner CME)
Claims arising from the perioperative experience are frequent, often preventable, and some of the costliest claims for physicians. One study of surgical claims conducted by The Doctors Company noted that about two out of three general surgeons have been involved in a medical malpractice suit. Malpractice data consistently finds that the most serious and common post-operative complications are unrecognized intestinal puncture or perforation. Diagnostic error by surgeons involving unrecognized intestinal puncture or perforation of an organ can quickly lead to septic shock and death.
