Risk Management Publications

CAP publishes a series of newsletters and digests to provide risk management and practice management expertise, addressing the topics you need to know about now.

Risk Management Support at Your Fingertips

Risk management has always been a central component of CAP’s strategy to help its member physicians. Through its Risk Management Program, CAP provides a unique blend of services designed to help member physicians control the risks inherent in today’s practice of medicine and, thus, mitigate potential claims.

Toward a Coordinated Approach to Critical Situations

When the medical approach to a particular situation differs among healthcare providers within a practice, such conflict may surface later – in litigation. A 50-year-old teacher visited the medical group of his family care physician because of chest pain and a cold. With his regular physician out of the office that afternoon, the gentleman was seen by a physician assistant.

Be Mindful of Pandora’s Box – EHR Audit Trails and Litigation

The increasing use of electronic health records (EHR) has resulted in an increased ability to electronically track activities that occur within a specific medical record. This is accomplished by review of the metadata, audit trails, or audit logs.

Continued Attempts at a Federal Good Samaritan Law

Prior to departing in early October, the House managed to pass and send to the Senate HR 6378, a bill to reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, also known as PAHPA. The reauthorization of PAHPA became a central focus in the efforts to pass the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act.

Let CAP Make Your Holidays Cheaper, Easier, and a Little Safer

Holiday time can mean precious time with family and maybe some well-deserved R&R. But for many, this time of year can leave us feeling frazzled from the stress of holiday gift shopping and party planning. To add a bit more sparkle to your holiday season, CAP is pleased to offer you a plethora of discounted programs that appeal to the budget-conscious and the safety-conscious.

You Asked. We Delivered! Introducing Dental and Vision Coverage for You and Your Staff

As you know, being an independent physician brings many rewards, as well as some challenges, including securing affordable health benefits for you and your employees. Did you know that you and your employees can soon secure affordable dental coverage through MetLife Dental and vision benefits through EyeMed Vision Care?

Your Privacy with the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc.

The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) promotes a range of products and services designed with the welfare of physicians in mind. CAP’s goal is to match healthcare providers with the best products and services — all tailored to fit their needs.

November, 2018

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October, 2018

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September, 2018

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Risk E-Notes

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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.

Patient Safety Advocate

Patient Safety Advocate is a free bi-monthly newsletter created by CAP's risk management and patient safety experts, specifically for the independent medical practice. Physicians, practice administrators, and office staff can use this valuable resource to strengthen the fundamentals of patient safety, while establishing a culture geared towards providing positive patient experiences.

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