Practice Management Publications

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.

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.

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.

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.

Healthcare Risk Management (HRM) week starts June 18, 2018. In preparation for the week, it is important to understand the role risk management plays in creating a safe and protected physician-patient relationship.

CAP is pleased to offer members compliance training through Evolve e-Learning Solutions. This platform offer members an easy to use, interactive online training system. This allows physician practices and their staff to receive quality training at the fraction of the cost of classroom training.

Most HIPAA violations are due to human error. For this reason, the most critical thing you can do is start by training all new employees and conduct annual staff training. Every physician and practice must ensure that all staff members understand the importance of patient privacy and the seriousness and potential penalties of even one violation. This training should demonstrate an awareness of and a commitment to HIPAA compliance.

Envision a scenario in which an adult brings a minor into your office. During check-in, it is revealed that the minor does not live with their parents but “lives with” the adult accompanying them. The adult in question could be an aunt, a grandparent or a cousin. Having a minor “live” with them does not mean for an afternoon, weekend or while the parents are on vacation. It means the parent is actually “absent” perhaps living in another state, country or maybe in jail; therefore, the minor lives with this person.

Smartphone technology has opened up a world where communication is quick and convenient and its capabilities have been fully embraced by physicians. With all these capabilities at your fingertips are you potentially violating HIPAA when texting? Here are the top ten things you can do to safeguard your practice today.

We all know patients in California have a right to review their medical record and/or obtain a copy. It is also no surprise that healthcare providers are typically allowed to charge a fee for this service. However, with all the different rules and exceptions, copying fees can be confusing.