Learning From Medical Oncology Malpractice Claims
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., with certain types of cancer increasing despite overall declines in mortality. By reviewing closed malpractice claims involving the medical oncology specialty, our study aims to gain insights into factors affecting cancer care and treatment.
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Before COVID-19, Outlier Medical Malpractice Verdicts Were Rising—What’s Next?
Severity—the average cost of a medical malpractice claim—continues its relentless increase. Though severity has been rising since at least the 1970s, in recent years we have seen a sharp increase in outlier verdicts, which exceed common policy limits and often set records for their venues. Before the pandemic, nearly all states had seen these extraordinarily large awards, but whether the pace of these awards will be affected by the pandemic is unknown. Some U.S. states have adopted limited liability protections for physicians during COVID-19, but those protections may be tested in the courts.
To Mitigate Negligence Risks, CRNAs Must Adhere to Standards of Practice—and Document the Story of Their Care
Many certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) worry about what will happen if they are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), but because the reporting process and its implications are often misunderstood, some of these worries may be unfounded. Understanding more about the NPDB can allay CRNAs’ potential concerns about their professional prospects.
Patient Safety Strategies for Hospitalists
Hospitalists face liability risks based on their diverse roles as an inpatient’s attending physician, covering physician, consultant, supervising physician, and/or co-manager. Common problems include confusion regarding the hospitalist’s responsibilities in the patient care continuum and miscommunication during different phases of inpatient care.
Unethical Treatment Leads to Lawsuit and Dental Board Action
Our analysis and risk management discussion of a case involving allegations of unethical treatment includes strategies to help dental professionals avoid becoming the focus of an investigation or claim.
February 24, 2024, Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Analysis of Closed Claims Among All Medical Specialties: Importance of Communication and Other Non-Clinical Contributing Factors
Evaluation of contributing factors associated with medical malpractice claims provides important information to optimize the patient–provider relationship. This review of closed claims from The Doctors Company highlights common factors contributing to lawsuits and strategies to avoid them, with a particular focus on communication.
April 01, 2022, Medical Economics
The Impact of Large Jury Awards
Robert E. White, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, describes how large malpractice awards affect claims in similar cases.
Laboratory and Diagnostic Test Tracking in Ambulatory Practice
Managing patient test results in ambulatory practices can pose a significant challenge. Establishing a standardized workflow to track results is a successful strategy for avoiding missed or delayed diagnosis that can lead to patient injury.
Claims Analysis Insight
We share our insights in published studies and articles distributed to members, medical and specialty societies, and national digital and print publications. We also provide multimedia materials that help you incorporate recommended risk mitigation strategies into your practice. Through these studies, we can identify risk factors that are within your control and those that are impacted by patient behavior, and provide strategies to help you mitigate those risks.
Mar 07, 2025
EHR Interoperability and Artificial Intelligence: Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse
Healthcare practitioners are ready to let AI lighten their loads—but first, we need to achieve EHR interoperability. AI can help us with that, too.
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The Doctor’s Advocate
