Telephone Triage and Advice: Patient Safety Strategies
Communications involving telephone triage and advice present a significant area of liability exposure for practitioners.
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Recording Office Visits and Procedures: Pros and Cons for Healthcare Professionals
Proactively addressing the use of electronic recordings can help practitioners avoid misunderstandings, reputational damage, and potential liability.
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.
February 21, 2024, Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Professional Liability: The Problem That Will Not Go Away
The frequency of malpractice claims in the United States has trended downward in the last 10 to 15 years, however, there is an upward trend in the “severity” of claims, driven in large part by “nuclear” jury verdicts. Cardiologists and other clinicians should always be aware that a lack of communication is a common causal factor in malpractice suits. Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, Chairman and CEO, The Doctors Company and TDC Group, investigates claim amounts and severity alongside three prominent physicians.
Sep 05, 2025
Patient Safety INSIGHT Services Shine a Light on Risks and Trends Others Can’t See
The Doctors Company is continually working to identify potential sources of risk and enhance patient safety. Our Patient Safety INSIGHT Services take a data-driven, collaborative approach to help you reduce adverse events while increasing patient safety and satisfaction.
From
The Doctor’s Advocate
December 15, 2023, Inside Medical Liability
MPL Cases: What Are the Primary Drivers of High-Indemnity Medical Malpractice Claims?
Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, and Kathrine Soulsby, RN, BSN, Senior Patient Safety Analyst, The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, investigate high-dollar medical malpractice litigation and explain how reducing diagnostic errors is paramount to enhancing patient safety and mitigating loss costs.
October 31, 2022, Part B News
As Practice Burnout Boils Over, Take Bold Steps to Hold and Head it Off
Even as pandemic pressures fade, symptoms of burnout in medical providers are getting worse rather than better. Robert Morton, MAS, CPPS, Assistant Vice President, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management, The Doctors Company, discusses the reasons for increased physician burnout and provides constructive tools to improve and combat symptoms.
April 25, 2022, Nashville Medical News
As Corporate Entities Enter Healthcare, Practices Can Respond via Patient-Centered Care
Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, discusses the involvement of large non-legacy corporate entities in healthcare and how it will impact how all clinicians provide healthcare.
Cognitive Assessments in Primary Care: Preparation and Tools May Mitigate Diagnosis Risks
As practices care for the increase in older patients and take advantage of the CMS billing rules, successfully integrating cognitive evaluations into a practice’s workflow without magnifying liability risks takes some preparation.
Patient Safety Strategies for Oncology
The strategies presented here can help oncologists keep their patients safe as they mitigate risks.
