Knowledge Library

Although electronic health records (EHRs) have many benefits, studies reveal unexpected patient safety and liability risks associated with their use. The speed at which EHR technology is advancing and the speed with which hospitals and medical practices are implementing these systems can partially explain this increased risk exposure.¹ Optimizing an EHR (using it to its full potential) can deflect some of this risk. However, the importance of optimizing an EHR can be overlooked amid the struggle to provide quality patient care while complying with regulations and participating in government incentive programs.²

An adverse drug event (ADE) is defined as “harm experienced by a patient as a result of exposure to a medication.”¹ The Institute of Medicine says an ADE is “an injury resulting from a medical intervention.”² Like any adverse event, occurrence of an ADE does not necessarily indicate an error or poor quality care. However, adverse drug events account for nearly 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations annually.¹

Acting Secretary of HHS in 2017 declared a public health emergency to address what he called a “national opioid crisis.” It’s easy to see why. The number of people dying from opioid overdoses is increasing¹ and the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse alone is estimated at $78.5 billion a year in the U.S.² Furthermore, due to the increased scrutiny by law enforcement and regulatory agencies and the risk of dependency and overdose there are increased liability risks for physicians related to opioid prescribing.

In this special report, the risk management experts at NORCAL offer recommendations supporting sound pain management principles for mitigating these risks and increasing patient safety with opioids.

The growth of online physician rating sites is causing a lot of physicians to feel like they’re losing control of their reputations. When seeing negative comments online, it’s natural for professionals to want to respond immediately to defend their reputations. But is that always the best course of action?

Nearly half of U.S. physicians—44%—report feeling burned out, with 59% citing too many bureaucratic tasks as the chief contributor.¹ This is a serious concern, because physician burnout can lead to patients suffering adverse events² or leave physicians unable to express empathy and compassion with their patients.³