Patient Safety Strategies for Hospitalists
Hospitalists face liability risks based on their diverse roles as an inpatient’s attending physician, covering physician, consultant, supervising physician, and/or co-manager. Common problems include confusion regarding the hospitalist’s responsibilities in the patient care continuum and miscommunication during different phases of inpatient care.
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Surge in Outlier Malpractice Awards
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.
Claims Analysis INSIGHT Program
We share our insights in published studies and articles distributed to members, medical and specialty societies, and national digital and print publications. We also provide multimedia materials that help you incorporate recommended risk mitigation strategies into your practice. Through these studies, we can identify risk factors that are within your control and those that are impacted by patient behavior, and provide strategies to help you mitigate those risks.
Unethical Treatment Leads to Lawsuit and Dental Board Action
Our analysis and risk management discussion of a case involving allegations of unethical treatment includes strategies to help dental professionals avoid becoming the focus of an investigation or claim.
February 24, 2024, Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Analysis of Closed Claims Among All Medical Specialties: Importance of Communication and Other Non-Clinical Contributing Factors
Evaluation of contributing factors associated with medical malpractice claims provides important information to optimize the patient–provider relationship. This review of closed claims from The Doctors Company highlights common factors contributing to lawsuits and strategies to avoid them, with a particular focus on communication.
Jun 05, 2025
National Blood Supply Shortage: An Urgent Call to Action for Healthcare Professionals
The nation’s blood supply is now dangerously low. Medical professionals have the credibility and expertise to educate the public about the need for an adequate blood supply and are also in the best position to literally roll up their sleeves and lead by example.
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The Doctor’s Advocate
Overview of Obesity-Related Malpractice Claims
The Doctors Company continues to see an increase in lawsuits involving patients with obesity.
Ambulatory Lab and Test Tracking Guide
Managing patient test results in ambulatory practices can pose a significant challenge. Establishing a standardized workflow to track results is a successful strategy for avoiding missed or delayed diagnosis that can lead to patient injury.
Video Nov 18, 2022
What to Expect from Litigation: Dr. Grollo's Perspective
Dennis Grollo, MD, a family physician, describes a malpractice case against him involving a long-time patient and allegations of using an out-of-state pharmacy. Dr. Grollo worked as a team with his attorney and The Doctors Company claims specialist to provide a strong defense with the support of medical and phone records. In the end, the jury exonerated him.
Burnout and Litigation in Primary Care
Certain trends in primary care suggest potential avenues for investigation into malpractice allegations. These include a worsening shortage of primary care physicians, an association between burnout and patient safety concerns, and the rise in both the number of women physicians and the rate of burnout among women physicians.
