Human resources consume a tremendous amount of time for the average practice. The paperwork alone is overwhelming for many practice executives, especially coupled with other duties and management responsibilities. The Great Resignation has brought the need for a strong recruitment and retention plan to the fo...
The Tennessee Controlled Substance Monitoring Database (CSMD) rules have been amended effective January 26, 2022. The amendment requires that all healthcare practitioners, unless otherwise exempted, check the CSMD prior to issuing a Schedule II amphetamine, at the beginning of a new episode of treatment...
A wise attorney once told me, “The road to serenity is not paved with litigation.” How true that is. Unfortunately, litigation is a familiar experience for those of us who practice medicine -- most of us will find our serenity traumatized by a lawsuit during our career. The stress can be overwhelm...
In last month’s article, we discussed how better patient communication can help prevent missed appointments and improve follow-up. One of the safest and most convenient methods of communication with established patients is a portal. A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients 24-hour...
Most prescribers are aware of the upcoming requirement for Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) as mandated by the federal SUPPORT Act of 2018 and effective January 1, 2021. Primarily, this federal mandate affects Medicare Part D EPCS. In addition to the federal law, many states have new or ...
From a financial standpoint, missed appointments and “no-shows” have always been a significant problem for healthcare practitioners. It has been estimated that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the cost of missed patient appointments was more than $150 billion annually. Of course, the &ldqu...
With COVID-19 still at the forefront of our nation’s health priorities, there is increasing concern about an overlapping flu season. Patients who are already deferring routine and even acute care needs may not be willing to come into the medical office to receive a flu vaccination. Health experts warn t...
Ransomware continues to be a problem with devastating consequences for healthcare practices. While the threat is not new, recent changes in the nature and sources of these attacks have become increasingly concerning. In addition to extorting victims to decrypt data, recent reports of attacks have indicated th...
Recently I began seeing a new primary care provider. As an ovarian cancer survivor, I realize that I am not the easiest new patient to accept. Not only am I a cancer survivor, I am a psychotherapist. Right off the bat, I was very impressed by the provider’s combination of clinical expertise and genuine ...
Take the Survey Physician mental health is a big issue these days, with burnout rates approaching 54 percent. There is a huge amount of stigma that limits a physician’s ability to get help, including the fear of licensure, career or practice issues, as well as the fear of being considered “less t...
Last year, Prince Philip, the 97-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, overturned the Land Rover he was driving after colliding with a minivan on a rural road outside of London. Prince Philip was unhurt and the two women in the other vehicle suffered only minor injuries. This incident ...
This article is the second in a series of two; the first appeared last month and can be accessed here. In the previous article, we discussed important concepts of the informed consent process, including the need to document the discussion. What are best practices when documenting consent? Documentation...
Where there is a bad outcome in claims, we frequently find the consent process, or at least, documentation of that process, was lacking. Plaintiffs’ attorneys are eager to assert the old adage that, “if it’s not documented, it wasn’t done.” While that is not necessarily true, it ...
Healthcare delivery in the United States has undergone numerous changes over the past 10 to 15 years, and its metamorphosis continues. These changes have created new medical professional liability (MPL) risks for physicians and other healthcare providers. Although scope of practice is not a new concept, it is...
The False Claims Act (FCA) is a federal law which imposes liability on any person or entity who knowingly presents false or fraudulent claims for payments to the United States government or the Armed Forces of the United States; knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made a false record or statement to get a ...
Many physicians have had the unfortunate experience of giving a deposition. Many physicians wonder if they have a choice to participate when it comes to a deposition. Whether you are a treating physician, a subsequent treating physician, a defendant in a lawsuit, or an expert hired for the case, you may be re...
DOGS ALLOWED? If you traveled by air in the past year, you probably noticed that the presence of animals is on the rise in airports and on airplanes. It is not just the airline industry facing the increased presence of service and emotional support animals. How you deal with them can expose you to liti...
Editor’s Note: “Successful Navigation through an Adverse Risk Environment”, presented by Dr. Kevin Klauer, is one of our two live Risk Education options for SVMIC policyholders and staff. Using an interactive format, Dr. Klauer engages attendees and explores the multiple high-risk features o...
In Part I last month, we discussed the potential risks and pitfall of EHR systems relative to digital assists and inconsistent processes. In this month’s article, we will examine additional concerns unique to EHR systems that could create potential risks for the provider including the audit trail and al...
Electronic communication has revolutionized the care provided within healthcare. The ability to exchange healthcare information electronically and the utilization of electronic health records gives providers the opportunity to provide higher quality and safer care for patients while creating measureable benef...
A new study has found that, between 2011 and 2014, the burnout rate among family physicians increased from 45 to 54 percent[i]. Yes, you read that right. Over half of us are experiencing burnout. In previous articles in this series on physician burnout, we learned that burnout occurs when our mental, ph...
In Article One of this three-part series, we discussed the causes, effects, and pathophysiology of burnout. If you have not read that article, it is important you do so. The tools that follow are more effective if you understand the fundamental blind spots and conditioning of our medical education. In ...
This is the first in a three-part series from Dike Drummond, MD. Dr. Drummond is CEO of TheHappyMD.com, where he provides burnout prevention and leadership development coaching, training and consulting to individual physicians and healthcare organizations. Dr. Drummond will be speaking on this topic at the 20...
Editor's Note: This is part four in our four-part series on physician burnout. Part I was published in the January 2018 edition of The SVMIC Sentinel; part II was published in the April 2018 edition; and part three was published in our July 2018 edition. Physician burnout syndrome is a pe...
A number of challenges and uncertainties—some perhaps more perceived than actual— continue to confront the use of telemedicine. In examining trends in healthcare, however, many paths forward lead to increased telemedicine adoption by providers and utilization by patients. As reimbursement t...
It’s back to school time which means cold and flu season isn’t too far away. Although a medical practice’s infection control plan consists of much more than preparing for cold and flu, now might be a good time to shore up your practice’s plan. According to the Centers for Disease Contr...
Everyone has a pocket-sized, easy-to-use audio/video recording device – a cell phone. Just as people record more and more of life’s events, many now record conversations with their physicians and other healthcare providers. These recordings can be performed either with permission or surreptitiousl...
Editor's Note: This is part three in our four-part series on physician burnout. Part I was published in the January 2018 edition of The SVMIC Sentinel and part II was published in the April 2018 edition. Part four in our series will be published in our October edition. On June 9 of this year,...
Healthcare professionals pride themselves on achieving high levels of excellence, if not routine near-perfection, in the care they provide. When an adverse event occurs, facing a patient and his or her family members can be challenging, especially when the adverse event resulted from an error. Approaching dis...
Understanding when an authorization form is required to release protected health information (PHI) has been a challenge for the healthcare community since HIPAA required compliance with the Privacy Rule in April of 2003. Generally, a HIPAA-compliant authorization form is not necessary for most uses and disclo...
Falls represent a large percentage of office and surgical accidents reported to SVMIC. Falls have also generated considerable attention from patient safety organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed an initiative specifically addressing patient falls in their “STEADI&rd...
The Challenges Physicians Face Taking care of patients in chronic pain has always been a challenge for physicians. We face many different challenges trying to help people who suffer with pain, the first hurdle figuring out the cause. There’s a long list of things that can cause something as common as c...
Along this pathway called life, I’ve had 2 distinct blessings which overlapped and played an integral role in my career. First, the opportunity to practice medicine as a calling serving my fellow man. Secondly is the God-given blessing of being a father and allowing me to pass on a father’s love a...
Dr. Taylor is a contributor to this year's Risk Education seminar "A Jury's Perspective - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" As a trial consultant, I am involved in conducting mock trials in all types of cases, including medical malpractice cases. In each case, I am looking for the problems and opportunities...
Editor's Note: This is part two in a four-part series on physician burnout. Part one was published in the January 2018 edition of The SVMIC Sentinel, available here. Part three in this series will be published in our July edition. A physician touches the lives of many people, including his family, friends, c...
In the 5 year period from 2018-2022, 27% of SVMIC’s paid closed claims, across all locations, included a contributing factor of medication prescribing or management thereof. Top medications involved in claims are analgesics, anticoagulants, and antibiotics. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Qualit...
As healthcare has shifted more toward the outpatient setting, the complexity and acuity of patients seen in that setting has intensified. As noted in MGMA’s Patient Safety and Quality Advisory Committee White Paper, “While most ambulatory care is less technically complex than inpatient care, it is...
Some physicians are familiar with the Tennessee Medical Foundation - Physician Health Program (TMF-PHP) - many more are not. Unfortunately, this can have dire consequences. The TMF-PHP’s mission is to help the 15-20% of physicians impaired by mental and behavioral illnesses, which includes mood disorder...
Developing protocols with a nurse practitioner or physician assistant will require time and attention to detail, but it is one of the most important steps toward an effective, collegial and protective physician-PA/APRN relationship. Protocols are not “cookbook” recipes for managing clinical condit...
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