Knowledge Library

While the number of people getting vaccinations for their children is relatively stable,¹ some parents are hesitant about or refuse vaccines, or want to depart from the recommended schedule, yet patient safety and public health goals call for physicians to discuss vaccination with parents in order to facilitate wide vaccine acceptance. In this special report, NORCAL’s risk management experts identify the most helpful strategies for communicating with parents about vaccination.

The healthcare setting often involves sensitive and intimate exams that present challenges other businesses don’t face. Medical chaperones can help provide a level of comfort for patients and may help ensure the best possible experience for patients and providers alike. In so doing, the likelihood of a sexual misconduct allegation based on a misunderstanding is greatly reduced.¹

Physician burnout is associated with two-fold increased odds for unsafe care, unprofessional behaviors, and low patient satisfaction according to one study.¹ Another study concludes that electronic health records (EHR) are a leading factor in physician burnout due to the increased clerical burden and reduced efficiency associated with them.² Like many other healthcare issues, preventing physician burnout is cheaper and safer than managing the downstream consequences. In this special report, the Risk Management team at NORCAL offer strategies to address stress caused by EHRs.

Patients are leaning heavily on physician reviews to help them select a physician.¹ Recent developments also suggest that these reviews may one day affect physician availability in payer networks.² As important as these reviews are—and may become—it helps to understand what they actually say and what your practice can do about them. This special report describes the nature of these reviews and offers strategies for encouraging positive ones to help you maintain a positive online reputation.

While the news is full of high-profile HIPAA breach cases and assessments of multi-million-dollar fines, smaller practices are not immune. They often succumb to the same types of error and bad judgment that affect larger providers. Fortunately, by following a few sensible guidelines, even smaller practices can safeguard themselves against the improper disclosure of protected health information (PHI) that leads to a HIPAA breach.