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Documentation and Scope of Practice Issues in Dentistry
We analyze a case resulting in patient injuries and provide strategies that address documentation and staff protocols.

Medical and Dental Records Guide
Our comprehensive guide offers actionable strategies to help you safeguard and manage patient records.

July 10, 2025, Inside Medical Liability
MPL Case: Inadequate Informed Consent and Documentation Creates Challenges in Dentistry
Dental malpractice claims are often not merely the result of individual oversights but reflect broader systemic issues, such as lapses in infection control, documentation, and patient assessment protocols. Establishing and maintaining strong practice processes for patient communication, informed consent, and documentation can help improve patient safety and protect the practice from liability.

Mar 04, 2024
Proactively Manage Patient Expectations With a Conditions of Treatment Agreement
Debra Kane Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, and Richard F. Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company
Protect your practice with a plan to proactively manage challenging patient behaviors.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

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.

Terminating Patient Relationships
If it becomes necessary to end a patient relationship, it is critical to end the relationship in a manner that will not lead to claims of discrimination or abandonment, litigation for alleged professional negligence, or complaints to administrative agencies.

Jun 18, 2024
New and Improved Learning Platform for Industry-Leading Accredited Education
The Doctors Company has launched a new and improved learning platform for our industry-leading accredited education for physicians, dentists, and nurses.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Jun 18, 2024
Telehealth Visits: Strategies for Minimizing Patient Distraction
Sue Boisvert, BSN, MHSA, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company
Patients who are distracted during telehealth visits can affect a practitioner’s ability to establish rapport and provide safe, effective treatment.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Reduce Patient Safety Risks With Vaccinations
Take time to assess the vaccine administration protocols in your practice.

Handling Requests for Refunds in a Healthcare Office Practice
Managing a patient’s request for a refund requires caution and a measured response. Refund requests are not only one of the most common patient concerns, but they are also one of the most complex because payer plans, state laws, and professional licensing boards may involve different rules and guidelines.