Solutions to 3 Common Risks Doctors Face
1/15/2010 2:09:00 PM
Whether you practice general medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, or other type of medicine or you are a specialist a little risk management can go a long way to protecting your practice. I know that this is not a topic that hits the top of your radar but you are a business owner as well as a healthcare professional. It’s amazing what you can get sued for and a few simple actions on your part can prevent a lot of headaches down the line.
1) Avoid Recording Negative Communications or Patient Criticisms: Sounds obvious but you would be surprised what some people will write down. Stick to documenting the facts. There are certain people who will pose as a patient and act rudely and cause problems just to elicit a negative comment from you or your staff and then file a claim against you. Be aware of this and discuss this possibility with your staff members.
2) Keep Patient Exam Areas Clean and Neat: There are quite a few General Liability claims each year as a result of patients tripping over obstacles in exam rooms and exam areas. You are used to your work area and understand that you need to move around equipment but your patients may not. Also, keeping your equipment out of the way of your patients also keeps this property from being damaged.
3) When you’re Done, Be Done: Often insurance claims arise from patients either continuing care too long or not being referred when appropriate. Sometime patients think they need more treatment even when you know that their treatment is complete. This creates a difficult doctor-patient situation in which you need to take control and gently ease the patient out of their comfort zone. The flip side to this is that sometimes you’ve done all you can do but the patient needs more specialized treatment. When it’s necessary to refer the patient to another provider do it as soon as that is understood even if the patient may be somewhat uncomfortable with that.
Sometimes the care of others isn’t as objective as we would like it to be and errors can happen. Of course, this is why you have Malpractice and General Liability insurance. However, even with insurance coverage you can still end up in court and risk management practices can go a long way to prevent that from happening.
At SteelBridge Insurance Services we specialize in assisting medical care practitioners with their risk management and insurance programs including Professional Liability, General Liability Insurance, Property Insurance, Workers’ Comp. and more. We strive to keep our clients well informed and well protected so that they have peace of mind. If you are in the Healthcare Industry and would like help with your insurance program please visit our website at www.SteelBridgeIns.com or call us at 800-900-1068,
1) Avoid Recording Negative Communications or Patient Criticisms: Sounds obvious but you would be surprised what some people will write down. Stick to documenting the facts. There are certain people who will pose as a patient and act rudely and cause problems just to elicit a negative comment from you or your staff and then file a claim against you. Be aware of this and discuss this possibility with your staff members.
2) Keep Patient Exam Areas Clean and Neat: There are quite a few General Liability claims each year as a result of patients tripping over obstacles in exam rooms and exam areas. You are used to your work area and understand that you need to move around equipment but your patients may not. Also, keeping your equipment out of the way of your patients also keeps this property from being damaged.
3) When you’re Done, Be Done: Often insurance claims arise from patients either continuing care too long or not being referred when appropriate. Sometime patients think they need more treatment even when you know that their treatment is complete. This creates a difficult doctor-patient situation in which you need to take control and gently ease the patient out of their comfort zone. The flip side to this is that sometimes you’ve done all you can do but the patient needs more specialized treatment. When it’s necessary to refer the patient to another provider do it as soon as that is understood even if the patient may be somewhat uncomfortable with that.
Sometimes the care of others isn’t as objective as we would like it to be and errors can happen. Of course, this is why you have Malpractice and General Liability insurance. However, even with insurance coverage you can still end up in court and risk management practices can go a long way to prevent that from happening.
At SteelBridge Insurance Services we specialize in assisting medical care practitioners with their risk management and insurance programs including Professional Liability, General Liability Insurance, Property Insurance, Workers’ Comp. and more. We strive to keep our clients well informed and well protected so that they have peace of mind. If you are in the Healthcare Industry and would like help with your insurance program please visit our website at www.SteelBridgeIns.com or call us at 800-900-1068,
