Taking the Lead in Patient Safety

Providing leadership in the national movement to improve the health care delivery system and reduce medical errors is a key component of The Doctors Company’s overall mission to advance and protect the practice of good medicine.

The Department of Patient Safety at The Doctors Company believes that:

• Patient safety is a major health policy issue that deeply affects every physician.
• The medical malpractice industry plays a vital role in the health care delivery system.
• Even “good” doctors practice in unsafe environments, a scenario that compromises patient care and puts the physician at greater risk of a lawsuit.
• There are many opportunities to identify risk in the delivery of patient care.
• Current risk management programs, such as practice surveys, claims analyses, and educational presentations are—and will continue to be—a valuable part of the patient safety program.
• Analysis of patient care systems within the practice environment is essential to identifying the high risk activities that are opportunities for errors.
• Process analysis is valuable as a means to evaluate the needs of individual physicians and to design an action plan to assist the physician in reducing risk.

Our services and publications for member physicians are the envy of the industry:

• Our experts are available to answer your questions and assist you in identifying and reducing risk exposure.
• Site visits can be scheduled to assist you in identifying areas to improve patient safety in your practice. These surveys include a review of the following: office policies and procedures, systems for follow up with patients, communication among the staff and with patients, safety and security in the office, and clinical procedures. Our site survey reports offer suggestions on how to develop and improve office procedures and processes.
• We provide information and practical tips to help you improve the safety and quality of patient care through effective team communication, effective medical record management, and patient education.
• Our timely publications, such as Patient Safety/Loss Prevention Strategies books and our quarterly publication, The Doctor’s Advocate, examine important patient safety and risk issues and offer practical advice on ways to help you lower risk and improve patient satisfaction.
• Our Office Self-Assessment tool is a comprehensive review of office systems that can be conducted by the physician and office manager. Your regional patient safety/risk manager will review the completed materials and provide you with recommendations.

A Team Approach
The Patient Safety Department works closely with the company’s claims specialists and underwriters to assist physicians in identifying and mitigating potential liability exposures in their practices.

At Your Service
Our local patient safety/risk management experts are at your service throughout the country. Members can call us at (800) 421-2368, extension 1243, for immediate assistance or to be connected with their regional patient safety/risk manager. You can also contact us at patientsafety@thedoctors.com.