Plastic Surgery

Nov 28, 2018
Plastic Surgery Closed Claims Study
We analyzed 1,438 malpractice claims against plastic surgeons to understand what motivates patients to pursue claims and gain a broader overview of the system failures and processes that result in patient harm.

Nov 14, 2018
Patient Selection for Elective Procedures
Susan Shepard, MSN, RN, Senior Director, Patient Safety and Risk Management Education
The patient selection process is a valuable tool for loss control, because many claims occur with patients who are not appropriate candidates for a procedure.

Jul 27, 2018
Distracting Devices in Healthcare: Malpractice Implications
Shelley Rizzo, MSN, CPHRM, Patient Safety Risk Manager II
Digital distraction in healthcare is emerging as a great threat to patient safety and physician well-being. Personal electronic devices can create a digital distraction so engaging that it consumes awareness, potentially preventing healthcare providers from focusing on the primary task at hand—caring for and interacting with patients.

Oct 24, 2017
Give Your Patient Safety Culture a Check Up Using Assessment Survey
Robin Diamond, MSN, JD, RN, Senior Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company
Healthcare managers are making concerted efforts to cultivate a pervasive culture of patient safety. Creating a patient safety culture shifts the focus away from the blame game that punishes individuals for failures—which can increase liability over the long term—toward creating policies and procedures that cultivate an environment of openness and foster patient safety.

Oct 24, 2017
Doctors Examine Injury Risks with Malpractice Closed Claims
Robin Diamond, MSN, JD, RN, Senior Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company
Taking a close look at research into real-life malpractice claims and incorporating some of the findings into their practices is one way physicians are reducing risks of adverse events.

Aug 28, 2017
The Search for Mary Smith
David B. Troxel, MD, Medical Director, Board of Governors
A case study illustrating the importance of researching healthcare technologies thoroughly before implementing them.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Jul 24, 2017
Plastic Surgeons Make Changes in Light of Malpractice Claims Study
David. B. Troxel, MD, medical director, The Doctors Company
An analysis of plastic surgery malpractice claims is leading plastic surgeons to adopt policies and procedures that help them focus on caring for patients instead of defending their practices in court.

Feb 18, 2017
Up for Review: Five Keys to Managing Online Criticism
Kevin Pho, MD, Founder and Editor, KevinMD.com
No matter how professional and caring a doctor you may be, eventually you will face criticism on the web. Here are five keys to managing that criticism.

Dec 14, 2016
Plastic Surgery Closed Claims: What Can We Learn?
Our analysis of closed plastic surgery claims identifies top allegations and the most common factors that contribute to patient injury.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Oct 26, 2016
Optimize the EHR: Better Workflow Means Better Work-Life Balance
Chad Anguilm, Director of Professional Services, Medical Advantage Group. Medical Advantage Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Doctors Company.
There are tools that can streamline patient care and payment workflows in the electronic health record (EHR). By dedicating time and effort up front to optimize the EHR, physicians can get relief from administrative tasks, reduce duplicate entry of data, and save time by not having to search for records in multiple places.

Sep 29, 2016
Frequently Asked Questions: Plastic Surgery
Susan Shepard, MSN, RN, Senior Director, Patient Safety and Risk Management Education.
Our experts answer questions from plastic surgeons, addressing issues such as patient selection and managing patient expectations.

May 23, 2016
Know Your Source: Protect Your Patients and Your Practice from Unsafe Medications
Susan Marr, MSA, LHRM, CPHRM, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
There is a growing network of rogue wholesale drug distributors selling potentially unsafe drugs in the U.S. market. To combat this threat, the FDA has launched the Know Your Source campaign to ensure physicians are aware of the problem and to help them play their part in protecting the integrity of the U.S. drug supply chain.

May 12, 2016
Specialty Advisory Boards: Bringing Together Expertise
Robin Diamond, JD, RN, Senior Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, and Miranda Felde, MHA, CPHRM, Assistant Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
We provide forums for healthcare leaders to exchange ideas and identify ways to help us advance the practice of good medicine.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Feb 18, 2016
Are Decisions Shared?
Robin Diamond, JD, RN, Senior Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
There is a growing emphasis on patient-centered care and shared decision making in healthcare.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Dec 11, 2015
Managing Pigmented Skin Lesions: Early Detection and Diagnosis of Melanoma
David M. Charles, MD, Board of Governors
The prognosis of a melanoma depends on early diagnosis and removal of the primary lesion before it can metastasize.

Dec 08, 2015
Venous Thrombosis Prevention
David M. Charles, MD, Board Member, The Doctors Company
This article provides resources to help plastic surgeons learn about preventing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

Sep 03, 2015
Minimizing Surgical Errors
Jonathan Jones, MD
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Sep 03, 2015
Teamwork in the OR
Susan Shepard, MSN, RN, Director, Patient Safety Education, The Doctors Company
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Jul 17, 2015
Conscious Sedation in the Office
Susan Shepard, MSN, RN, Senior Director, Patient Safety and Risk Management Education, and Ann S. Lofsky, MD (1956–2008), Governor Emeritus
Reduce potential liability with these risk management tips and guidelines for conscious sedation in the office.

Apr 20, 2015
Mid-level Practitioner Liability—Preventive Action and Loss Reduction Plan
This booklet can help practitioners avoid liability risks when hiring or working with mid-level practitioners.

Jan 22, 2015
Working with Patients Who Do Not Follow the Treatment Plan
Patients who do not follow the treatment plan may become high liability risks because their behavior often exacerbates existing health problems, which can lead to negative outcomes.

Dec 10, 2014
Editorial Comment on Maintenance of Certification
David B. Troxel, MD, Medical Director, Board of Governors
Dr. Troxel suggests ways to restructure the MoC examination process to adapt it to changes in the healthcare delivery system.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Dec 20, 2013
Interactive Guide to Patient Safety for Office Practices
This interactive guide is designed to help you uncover areas of potential malpractice exposure in your practice.

Dec 21, 2010
Fire Safety in the Surgical Suite
Susan K. Palmer, MD, Oregon Anesthesiology Group, and Ernest E. Allen, Account Executive, Patient Safety Department, The Doctors Company.
Besides conducting annual fire drills that include what to do if a fire occurs on a patient, it is also wise to review fire risks in high-risk procedures prior to the start of the surgical procedure.