Protecting patients and colleagues: When caring and your duty to report coincide
From MIEC’s Board of Governors: Protecting patients and colleagues: When caring and your duty to report coincide By: Gene Cleaver, MD, Chair, MIEC Loss Prevention Committee The AMA Code of Medical Ethics, Principles of Medical Ethics, Principle II states: “A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all professional interactions, and strive to report physicians deficient in character or competence, or engaging in fraud or deception, to appropriate entities.” In addition, the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) Opinion No. 9.031 states: “Physicians have an ethical obligation to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical colleagues in...
MIEC’s Underwriting and Patient Safety & Risk Management Departments frequently receive questions from policyholders about cosmetic procedures, participation in Medispas, what procedures can be performed by staff, and more. The following are answers to FAQs that we hope will provide physicians with some useful information. Q. Do I escape responsibility for patients if I, as a physician, simply sign up with a Medispa and lend my name on paper to the facility while receiving a monthly payment to do so? (California) No! According to the Medical Board of California (MBC), this type of arrangement is a violation of current...
In a Nutshell: Implement your state medical board’s Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain. (See discussion below.) State licensing boards can, and will, impose discipline on a physician for negligent prescribing practices, even in cases in which the physician feels that he or she is appropriately providing chronic pain management. A medical board can take licensure action against a physician for either an act of gross negligence, or repeated acts of simple negligence. Be familiar with “black box” warnings for all controlled substances that you prescribe. Register at PDR.net to receive current FDA-approved drug alerts and recall drug information...
“Ineffective care transition processes lead to: Adverse outcomes for patients, including medication errors, clinical progression of illness, lack of post-discharge follow up and avoidable emergency department visits; Decreased patient and staff satisfaction; Inappropriate use of resources; and, Financial penalties through reduction in reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other insurers.” The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) Case Study A 43-year-old married father of three was taken via ambulance to the ED with sudden onset of mid-sternal chest pain as well as numbness and pain radiating to his left arm. History obtained by paramedics included shortness of breath,...
Patient Complaints: How to Stop Them Before They Start
Studies show that the leading reasons for patient complaints include: delayed receipt of test results; excessive wait when scheduling an appointment or waiting to see the doctor; staff rudeness or a doctor’s poor “bedside manner;” and billing errors. Anticipating problems and responding promptly to com-plaints can prevent an unhappy patient from threatening to sue or hiring an attorney. How to avoid patient complaints: The best way to avoid patient complaints is to establish a positive physician-patient relationship and nurture the health of the relationship over time. Make a good first impression. Telephone triage, scheduling, and front office staff should communicate...