May 11, 2023, Inside Medical Liability Online
Postpartum Malpractice Claims: Can We Understand Preventable Harms and Socioeconomic Factors?
Rates for maternal morbidity and mortality are higher in the U.S. than in any other developed country—and many of the harms suffered by patients are preventable. In a multifactorial study, David L. Feldman, MD, MBA, FACS, Chief Medical Officer, The Doctors Company and TDC Group; Jacqueline Ross, PhD, RN, CPAN, Coding Director, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company, and Shelise Valentine, RNC, MSN, Director of Clinical Education, Healthcare Risk Advisors, part of TDC Group, investigated postpartum claims to develop clinical recommendations to decrease the risks of postpartum morbidity and mortality.
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Resources for Practice Managers
Get all our expert resources on important practice management topics, including OSHA standards, compliance, training, checklists, and tools.
March 01, 2024, Healthcare Risk Management
AI Creates Liability Risks for Healthcare Organizations
Sue Boisvert, BSN, MHSA, CPPS, CPHRM, DFASHRM, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in healthcare, and while it offers substantial benefits, there are serious risks to consider.
Jan 30, 2025
Off-Label Use: Patient Safety Implications
Once authorized, a drug product may be prescribed by a licensed healthcare practitioner for any use deemed appropriate based on the practitioner’s professional opinion. The governing standard is what other similarly trained practitioners would do—not what the manufacturer of the medication or product recommends.
Professional Education
Loss Lessons: Recognition of Wernicke Encephalopathy
Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a syndrome commonly seen in patients with alcohol use disorder who do not take adequate thiamine. WE should be suspected in any patient with conditions that may lead to malnutrition in combination with any of the following symptoms: altered mental status ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, delirium, and hypotension. Considered a medical emergency, it must be reversed to prevent permanent deficits. This case illustrates a cascade of errors which led to permanent disability. Some practical interventions to quickly recognize and reverse the condition are offered following the case presentation, which will be helpful for gastroenterology/gastroenterologists, ophthalmology/ophthalmologists, and neurology/neurologists.
Disclosure Resources Appendix 1: Empathetic and Non-Empathetic Statements
Physicians should use empathetic statements and avoid non-empathetic statements when disclosing adverse events or complications to patients.
Informed Consent Sample Forms
Customize our informed consent sample forms to your practice and your patients.
Social Inflation Causes Between $2.4 and $3.5 Billion of All Medical Malpractice Losses, The Doctors Company Study Finds
In the decade ending in 2021, between $2.4 and $3.5 billion, or 8 to 11 percent, of all medical malpractice losses incurred by physician-focused insurers stemmed from social inflation, according to new research from The Doctors Company, the nation’s largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer and part of TDC Group.
Plastic Surgery: Frequently Asked Patient Safety Questions
Our experts answer questions from plastic surgeons, addressing issues such as patient selection and managing patient expectations.
May 02, 2025, Inside Medical Liability Online
MPL Case: Could This Medication Error Occur in Your Practice?
Medication errors and patient falls present marked risks for oncology patients and practices. These types of adverse events, when they occur, are especially likely to result in malpractice claims with paid indemnities. Experts from The Doctors Company discuss how attention to systems factors such as practice policies and protocols, supported by staff training in adherence and implementation, can help protect patients from harm and practices from liability.