Deferred, Delayed, Disrupted: Mitigating Risks from Care During COVID-19
The pandemic has disrupted healthcare so thoroughly that in some sense, COVID-19 has affected all of healthcare. The effect on care has been stunning in magnitude. By mid-2020, more than 40 percent of U.S. adults had delayed medical care or avoided it entirely, including care for urgent and emergent complaints.
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Dec 02, 2024
2024 Judicial Review: Significant Court Decisions on Medical Liability Issues
Between fall 2023 and summer 2024, state supreme courts handed down mixed decisions on medical liability issues affecting healthcare professionals.
From
The Doctor’s Advocate
April 26, 2022, Medscape
Malpractice Case: Did Error Cause Neurologic Impairment?
Our case study, published by Medscape, illustrates the importance of taking escalating risks seriously and emphasizes the value of early communication among healthcare providers.
Video Nov 15, 2023
Shoulder Dystocia: Physician-Patient Disclosure
The purpose of this video is to assist physicians in enhancing their communication skills when disclosing a shoulder dystocia injury to patients and family members. This type of injury to the infant may unfortunately occur, despite the best of care. However, effective physician-patient communication is an integral part of clinical practice and has shown to positively influence outcomes by increasing patient understanding and trust.
Mike Tungate
Mike Tungate is president of The Doctors Agency of Michigan.
April 03, 2025, Cardiology Magazine
Critical Insights: Lessons From Delayed Diagnosis, Treatment in the ED
John P. Erwin III, MD, MBA, MACC, Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, Prisma Health Upstate; Clinical Professor, School of Medicine Greenville, University of South Carolina; and Debra A. Davidson, MJ, CPHRM, CPPS, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, review how care and treatment delays contribute to poor patient outcomes and medical malpractice litigation.
May 20, 2024, Part B News
CMS: In AWV, SDOH Assessment Can Occur Days Before Visit; Append Modifier
Richard Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, discusses a Change Request pertaining to the use of social determinants of health (SDOH) risk assessments during Medicare annual wellness visits (AWV).
Professional Education
Module 3: Safe Prescribing of Opioids and CNS Depressants (Innovations and Smart Approaches in Safe Prescribing)
Learn several new concepts and innovation tips. Learn about the new CDC Guidelines about pain. This program will show how to treat pain, opioid withdrawal, and/or opioid addiction. It will show how to taper opioids and you will learn how to conduct “motivational interviewing.” You will examine multimodal approaches for chronic pain, including physical, psych-behavioral, procedural, and pharmacological modalities. You will be encouraged to use tools for prescribing and tapering opioids and benzodiazepines. You will be provided with an overview of the use of CURES 2.0. Lastly, the program will examine how to best screen patients for use of CNS depressants and marijuana to mitigate the potential for contraindications with opioids. This module consists of seven audio-filled videos. To successfully complete this course, you need to achieve a passing score of 80 percent in the post-test questions.
Artificial Intelligence, COVID-19, and the Future of Pandemics
Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven of value in the COVID-19 pandemic and shows promise for mitigating future healthcare crises.
Shoulder Dystocia Documentation: Implementing a Protocol
Shoulder dystocia claims have traditionally been among the most problematic to defend.