Diagnostic Challenges: Understanding Contributing Factors to Reduce Risk The diagnostic process has been defined as a “complex and collaborative activity that unfolds over time and for most patients occurs within the context of the health care work system.”1 In 2014, the Institute of Medicine appointed an independent committee to define the complexities of this process with the objective of improving diagnostic accuracy amongst clinicians. Their diagnostic process map serves as an important reminder that both patients and clinicians play a role in ensuring diagnostic accuracy. June 6, 2025 Member Benefits, Practice Management, RCMA, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Risk Management Business Partner, ProAssurance, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Smooth Transitions: The Importance of Handoffs for Continuity of Care The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that “it is in inadequate handoffs that safety often fails first." A handoff is a complex process that can happen thousands of times a day in a busy hospital or ambulatory care center. Handoffs occur all along the continuum of patient care between many different members of a healthcare team and across many different locations of care. March 6, 2025 Practice Management, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Risk Management Business Partner, ProAssurance, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Medical Record Documentation: Paint The Clinical Picture with Complete and Accurate Documentation Medical record documentation errors continue to play a significant role in medical malpractice claims. Incomplete and inaccurate documentation can lead to a variety of unintended consequences including delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, patient harm, and death, any of which can lead to medical malpractice claims. Documentation errors encompass missing or incorrect information in charts, notes, transcriptions, and other electronic health record (EHR)-related areas. Copy/forward and drop-down menu functions, the ability to easily document on the wrong patient or in the wrong location of a chart, and late entries that may appear concurrent are all documentation issues that can cause patient injuries and/or impact the defense of a lawsuit. Certain aspects of the medical documentation process may invite behaviors that contribute to errors and inappropriate notations, increasing the likelihood of later liability. November 4, 2024 Practice Management, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Risk Management Business Partner, Medical Record Documentation, ProAssurance, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Vicarious Liability for Medical Assistant Negligence Medical assistants (MAs) can increase medical practice efficiency, patient satisfaction, and patient care quality. Increased satisfaction and quality can reduce malpractice liability risk. But MAs can also increase liability risk for their supervising/delegating clinicians and employers. Physician employers of MAs may be found vicariously liable for MAs’ negligent actions and may also be directly liable for negligent supervision, delegation, hiring, and/or training of MAs. Additionally, MAs who exceed their own scope of service to the degree that they are practicing medicine (or nursing), can expose the person delegating tasks to charges of aiding and abetting the unlicensed practice of medicine (nursing), which can result in board discipline and criminal prosecution. MAs who perform tasks outside of their scope can be charged with the unlicensed practice of medicine (nursing), which is a crime. This article focuses on what employers can do to reduce vicarious liability risk associated with MAs. August 30, 2024 Practice Management, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Workplace Bullying and Its Effect on Patient Safety and Liability Risk Exposure Bullying can decrease patient safety and increase liability risk. The stress, anger and frustration resulting from even mild incivility can interfere with working memory, which, in turn, adversely affects cognitive functions necessary for medical decision-making and procedural performance. Bullying undermines coordination, collaboration, teamwork, and communication, which are also essential to delivering safe patient care. June 3, 2024 Practice Management, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Treating Family: Liability, Ethics, and Professionalism A physician-patient relationship exists solely for the patient’s benefit. The very first code of medical ethics drafted by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1847 recommended against physicians treating family members, stating, “the natural anxiety and solicitude which he [the physician] experiences at the sickness of a wife, a child . . . tend to obscure his judgment, and produce timidity and irresolution in his practice.” In addition to the current AMA code of ethics, several major medical professional associations generally discourage the provision of medical care for family members. March 12, 2024 Practice Management, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
RCMA 2023 Year in Review Thank you for your membership and support which enables us to continue supporting the practices of Riverside County. Together we will continue representing the best interests of Riverside County physicians and the patients you serve. January 24, 2024 News, Physician Wellness, Physicians for a Healthy California, Practice Management, RCMA, RCMA/CMA, Resources, Riverside County Community 2023 Year in Review, RCMA, Riverside County, Riverside County Medical Association, Riverside County Physicians, Year in Review 0 0 Comment Read More »
Is It Safe to Send That Text? The Patient Safety and Liability Risks Associated withText Messaging. Texting in a healthcare environment has risks and benefits. In the following article, Mary-Lynn Ryan, Senior Risk Management Consultant with ProAssurance shares ways to avoid risk when using text technology in your practice. November 14, 2023 Health Information Technology (HIT), Physician Wellness, Practice Management, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management , Riverside County Community Physicians, ProAssurance, RCMA, RCMA Docs, Risk Management, Texting Safety 0 0 Comment Read More »
The Impact of Unrealistic Productivity Expectations on Patient Safety Expectations to do more with less, in less time, contribute to medical errors and poor patient outcomes, which in turn increases medical liability exposure risk. Issues including poor workload planning, inadequate staffing, incentive systems, personal financial goals, and a culture that does not value safety over production can create unrealistic productivity expectations.Pressure to meet expectations can result in behaviors that impact patient safety. October 23, 2023 Physician Wellness, Practice Management, RCMA, Resources, Risk Management 0 0 Comment Read More »
Data Sharing Agreement Grant Funding Available! Data Sharing Agreement Grant Funding Applications are Open! Manifest MedEx can help with your application process. June 20, 2023 Health Information Technology (HIT), News, Practice Management, RCMA, Resources 0 0 Comment Read More »
