Infection Control

Oct 06, 2020
Flu or COVID-19? Convergence of Two Viruses Creates Risk of Diagnostic Errors
By Susan Shepard, RN, MSN, CPHRM, Senior Director of Patient Safety and Staff Education, The Doctors Company
Understanding the differences between the flu and COVID-19 will help to prevent misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of either disease.

Aug 17, 2020
What Lessons Did We Learn from COVID-19
David L. Feldman, MD, MBA, FACS, Chief Medical Officer, The Doctors Company Group, and Laura Kline, CPCU, MBA, Senior Vice President, Business Development, The Doctors Company
Each year, The Doctors Company assembles healthcare leaders to discuss the most pressing issues affecting physicians, practices, and systems across the spectrum of care. The 2020 Executive Advisory Board meeting gathered top healthcare executives for a virtual discussion of shared pandemic experiences and lessons learned that can help healthcare organizations navigate through COVID-19 and beyond.

Aug 17, 2020
COVID-19 and Patient Safety in the Medical Office
Debbie Kane Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread across multiple continents. This is what healthcare providers should do in the event a patient with suspected COVID-19 seeks care.

Aug 07, 2020
Guide to Reopening Your Practice During COVID-19
Debbie Kane Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager
Officials are relaxing some COVID-19 restrictions. As you begin to reopen your practice, use this checklist to ensure you’re keeping patients and staff safe. This guide focuses on administrative, personnel, environment of care, and elective surgery considerations and can be adapted to meet your practice’s individual needs.

Professional Education
Prevention of Medical Errors (Florida Practices)
This activity is specific to Florida statutes and reflects regulations effective February 2018. Few medical errors are attributed to faulty medical judgment. More commonly, they are attributed to system failures inherent in healthcare delivery. By drawing on our professional liability closed claims data, we have identified common performance and diagnostic errors: wrong-site surgery, surgery complications, cancer, ob/gyn related conditions, cardiology issues, respiratory-related issues, and adverse drug events—that will serve as the focal point of this patient safety and risk management course.
Credit 2.0

May 01, 2020
Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Screening Assessment
Restarting elective procedures or surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic will require additional assessments to optimize your patients’ health for the best possible outcome. In today’s crisis, doctors must follow the standard of care when known, and customize and innovate when it is not.

May 01, 2020
Elective Surgery Informed Consent and Shared Decision Making During COVID-19
Kim Hathaway, MSN, CPHRM, Patient Safety Healthcare Quality and Risk Management Consultant, and Julie Ritzman, MBA, CPHRM, Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
Restarting elective surgeries and procedures after suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic requires a great deal of planning and consideration of many factors, including those related to patients, locations where you practice, and the larger community.

May 01, 2020
Informed Consent for COVID-19 Risks: Frequently Asked Questions
To support our members and the entire medical profession during this unprecedented time, the following are answers to some frequently asked questions regarding informed consent for COVID-19 risks.

May 01, 2020
Resources for Resuming Elective Procedures During COVID-19
Kim Hathaway, MSN, CPHRM, Patient Safety Healthcare Quality and Risk Management Consultant, and Julie Ritzman, MBA, CPHRM, Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
Your patients most likely want to know about the safety of surgery during the pandemic and what occurs if they contract COVID-19 post-procedure. You may have questions about keeping your staff and patients safe, informing patients about new risks the pandemic has created, and potential liability risks you may be facing.

Apr 19, 2019
Rising Number of Measles Cases Creates Numerous Patient Safety Issues
Debbie Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager
New cases of measles (rubeola) are once again making national headlines. Physicians should implement effective screening protocols, infection control techniques, and patient education to reduce liability risks and promote patient safety.

Apr 24, 2018
Missed Diagnosis of Spinal Epidural Abscess
David B. Troxel, MD, Medical Director, Board of Governors
This case illustrates the importance of promptly diagnosing and treating spinal epidural abscess.