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Video Oct 28, 2021

What Clinical Support Tools Can Help Emergency Department Physicians Reduce Diagnostic Errors?
Emergency department systems and processes can increase or reduce the risk of diagnostic error. But instead of simply asking clinicians to work harder or smarter, what’s needed is the creation of a system of care that optimizes their ability to think and carry out an efficient work-up of a patient. Learn more from Jacqueline Ross, PhD, RN, CPAN, our coding director.

The Doctors Company Announces $8.5 Million Member Dividend
We are proud to announce The Doctors Company has approved a 2023 premium dividend of approximately $8.5 million, bringing the total of declared dividends to date to more than $455 million.

Professional Education
Delayed Diagnosis of Stroke: Case Review for Advanced Practice Clinicians
In reviewing closed malpractice claims, The Doctors Company identified diagnostic failure as a reoccurring problem and one of the top three leading allegations that result in malpractice claims. This failure often leads to a delay in treatment and causes significant harm to patients. The following highlights the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of a stroke. Factors contributing to delay diagnosis and treatment included failure to recognize the window (“last known well time”) for tissue plasminogen activator-clot buster (tPA) failure to order a stat MRI and neurology consult, failed communication among providers regarding changes of recurring symptoms of ischemic stroke, failure to appreciate new signs and symptoms of a stroke, and poor or inconsistent documentation. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has identified the top three causes of serious harm from diagnostic failure. Number one is ischemic stroke.

May 14, 2021
Artificial Intelligence, COVID-19, and the Future of Pandemics
Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Doctors Company, and Leader of the TDC Group of Companies
Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven of value in the COVID-19 pandemic and shows promise for mitigating future healthcare crises.

Aug 27, 2019
Electronic Health Records Continue to Lead to Medical Malpractice Suits
Darrell Ranum, JD, Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk Management
We analyzed 216 medical malpractice claims that closed from 2010 to 2018 in which EHRs contributed to patient injury. The pace of these claims grew, from a low of seven cases in 2010 to an average of 22.5 cases per year in 2017 and 2018. As EHRs approach near-universal adoption, they may become a more prevalent source of patient safety risk.

Jun 18, 2021
Study of Emergency Department Diagnosis Case Type Malpractice Claims: Abstract
Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management
A study of diagnosis-type closed medical malpractice claims from care that occurred in the ED from 2014 through the second quarter of 2019 using closed coded claims from The Doctors Company.

Video Dec 08, 2022

How Does the Overturn of Roe v. Wade Create Additional Healthcare Inequities?
In this short video from our recent "Navigating Healthcare in a Post-Roe World" webinar, Daniel Grossman, MD, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) Director, University of California, San Francisco discusses some of the ways the overturn of Roe v. Wade has created additional healthcare inequities.

Mar 04, 2024
Loss Lessons: Practicing Out of Bounds
Our complimentary on-demand course provides strategies for establishing policies and protocols to address scope of practice for unlicensed staff.
From The Doctor’s Advocate

Professional Education
Alzheimer's 4: Addressing Patients' and Families' Needs through the Disease Stages of Dementia
This activity includes seven video lectures and is the fourth in a series of four courses that seek to educate clinicians on standardized screening, evaluation, and disease management of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This fourth course covers life planning through disease stages, assessing and assisting caregivers, improving communications, utilizing community resources, and end of life decision-making. These sensitive conversations with patients. The course finishes with a focus on dementia resources, effective communication strategies, and understanding when it is time to make a referral to a specialist.

Nov 27, 2023
Industry and Company News
Announcements in the fourth quarter of 2023: ratings affirmations by AM Best and Fitch, two exclusive new endorsements, and Great Place to Work certification.
From The Doctor’s Advocate