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

The digital practice—the electronic storage, access, sharing, and monitoring of health information—promises increased convenience, improved patient care, and lower costs.¹ But this electronic access to medical records also brings with it the risk of cyberattacks and new avenues for employee error and misuse that could put sensitive patient data at risk of exposure and your practice at risk of violating state and federal regulatory and privacy laws.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services declared a public health emergency to address the opioid crisis.¹ But while increased awareness and better prescribing practices have helped, there is still cause for concern. In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died of an opioid overdose and an estimated 1.7 million suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioids.² For the physician, scrutiny by law enforcement and regulatory agencies brings increased liability.

In this special report, the risk management experts at NORCAL Group offer recommendations supporting sound pain management principles to help mitigate these risks and improve patient safety.

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?