Practice Management Publications

A Commitment to Serving the Underserved — and Inspiring the Next Generation

After many successful years in private practice, Dr. Eleby Washington made a decision that changed his life and that of countless others: he went to take care of the underserved.

Physician Diligence Needed Even with EMR Systems

Notwithstanding the usual suspects that hinder electronic medical record implementation — initial costs, interoperability problems, training burdens, and altered physician-patient dynamics — there’s also the risk of a pure system malfunction. In a malpractice suit after an admitted malfunction, a physician’s actions will still be scrutinized.

healthcare professionals working on handoff communication

Two Continued Sources of Risk for Physicians: Informed Consent and Advanced Practice Professionals

The goal of CAP’s Risk Management and Patient Safety Department is to prevent patient injury, prevent adverse events, and reduce claims by educating physicians to utilize risk strategies across the continuum of care.

Governor’s Proposed Budget Big on Health Changes

We are off to a very busy legislative year in Sacramento, starting with the newly-elect governor’s first state budget proposal revealed on January 10 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

#MeToo Movement and Its Impact on Business Owners: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself

According to a new report on sexual harassment released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, data for fiscal year 2018 shows a more than 50 percent increase in sexual harassment lawsuits filed by the agency, and a more than 12 percent increase in the number of charges it received over fiscal year 2017.

Can I Really Save Time and Money with CAPAdvantage?

You may have already read about CAPAdvantage, our suite of no-cost and discounted practice management programs. Leveraging the buying power of your 12,000 member-strong cooperative, all programs are administered by highly reputable, CAP-vetted vendors. But can these programs really save your practice time, money, and aggravation?

February, 2019

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January, 2019

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December, 2018

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May Medical Assistants Call in New Prescriptions or Refills to a Pharmacy?

It depends… The Medical Board of California (MBC) cautions, “Physicians should view carefully his or her decision to allow medical assistants to perform this task.” It is not the physical act of picking up a phone and dialing a number that is of concern.

Checklist for Closing Your Medical Practice

CAP's Risk Management and Patient Safety Department offers the following guidelines to help physicians who are retiring or otherwise closing or selling their practice, or for those handling the estate of a deceased physician.

Documenting Patients Return Visit and Following Up on Missed Appointments

As every patient visit concludes with a documented office visit encounter, the visit note should include when the patient is advised to return. It is important for the physician to document when a patient should return to the office and for what purpose.

Signing the Electronic Record

Many physicians have migrated to the electronic record in the in-patient and out-patient setting. Physicians routinely use electronic and digital signatures in lieu of a hand written signature. Electronic submission necessitates security measures to verify and authenticate the physician’s identity.

Telephone Call Documentation

How does your office handle telephone messages from patients? Are they recorded in a telephone log? Added to the chart? How are physicians notified about the call? These are important questions because they affect patient outcomes and patient safety.

Four Ways to Improve Your Vendor Selection Process

So far this year, business associate breaches account for roughly 12 percent of the total breaches reported to the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), or 27 of the 233 reported breaches as of September 19. What does this mean to a covered entity? It means that it’s not enough to require a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Vendors should be diligently vetted.

We’re Rebooting Risk E-Notes

We wanted to inform you that Risk E-Notes is being replaced by a new monthly digest, Patient Safety Advocate. As you know, Risk E Notes is a bimonthly email newsletter published by CAP’s Risk Management and Patient Safety Newsletter. Risk E-Notes has been written for independent physicians and their office staff. We know how busy you are and we know how difficult it is to keep up with the latest risk management news and trends.

CURES 2.0: Mandatory Use Begins October 2, 2018

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has certified California’s Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES). Effective October 2, 2018, it will become mandatory for all health care practitioners to consult and review the CURES 2.0 system prior to prescribing, ordering, administering, or furnishing a Schedule II-IV controlled substance.

Senate Bill 97 Reporting Requirements for Parkinson's Disease

Effective July 1, 2018, Senate Bill 97 creates a mandatory requirement that a health provider that diagnoses or provides treatment to a patient with Parkinson's disease must report each case of Parkinson’s disease to the California Department of Public Health.

3 Key Tactics When Supervising Advanced Healthcare Professionals: Healthcare Risk Management Week Part 2

In part 1 of our article for Healthcare Risk Management (HRM), we outlined the issues of informed consent and informed refusals and what steps to take to protect your practice. In part 2 of our article, CAP’s Risk Management and Patient Safety Department will list the strategies and safeguards to have in place when working with advanced healthcare professionals.

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