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.
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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).
June 22, 2021, The Podcast by KevinMD
Malpractice Claims from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Robert E. White Jr., chief operating officer of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, discusses why we may not see a tidal wave of pandemic-related claims against physicians until 2022 or 2023, expresses his concern over physician burnout, and provides case examples of pandemic-related claims.
March 31, 2021, Medical Economics
Medical Practices to Continue Using PPE and Telehealth After Pandemic: Survey
The Doctors Company conducted a survey of 652 physicians across more than 20 specialties and asked how they think their practice will change as a result of the pandemic. The results, published by “Medical Economics,” highlight how doctors plan to increase their use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and telehealth.
May 29, 2021, KevinMD
Mitigating Risks from Care During COVID-19
Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and chief executive officer of The Doctors Company and leader of TDC Group, discusses the impact of delayed care that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professional Education
Urinary Tract Injury Following Gynecologic Surgery: Mitigating Risks (The Doctor's Advocate CME)
A recent review of gynecologic surgery claims involving urinary tract fistulas reveals the importance of expanding the scope of the informed consent conversation prior to surgery.
Diagnostic Error
A list of articles, expert insights, and education on the risks of diagnostic error.
Jun 18, 2021
Study of Emergency Department Diagnosis Case Type Malpractice Claims: Abstract
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
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.
Dec 20, 2019
Burnout Can Affect How Patients Communicate
If a physician appears burned out, patients may avoid asking questions for fear of adding to the stress.