Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (Part 2)
As the use of AI in healthcare ramps up, there is an ongoing necessity for healthcare systems to regularly assess the impact and risks of AI as its development and deployment is outpacing legal, medical, or business changes.
Know Your Enemy
Each year, the Emergency Care Research Institute issues its Top 10 Health Patient Safety Concerns. Their most recent report identifies the top ten concerns to be aware of now.
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications is the most important new information technology in decades that will change healthcare. This creates an ongoing necessity for healthcare systems to regularly assess the impact and risks of AI as its development and deployment is outpacing legal, medical, or business changes.
Surgery and Cannabis: Should You Screen All Patients Before Surgery?
Over the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of Americans who regularly use cannabis with approximately 10% of the population reporting monthly or greater use. Additionally, cannabis use disorder—clinically significant impairment caused by the recurrent use of marijuana—is believed to be present in about 6 percent of surgical patients.
The CURES Act Information Blocking Rule: 5 Practices to Avoid
As of April 5, 2021, all healthcare providers are required to comply with the 21st Century Cures Act Information Blocking Rule. To assist in your compliance with this complex regulation, here are five practices to avoid.
The Final Act of Care: Completing a Death Certificate for Your Patient
The accuracy of the death certificate is vital to the patient’s family and public health reporting. It can also have long-term ramifications, including provider defensibility.
Informed Refusal: An Underutilized Patient Safety and Risk Management Tool
This case illustrates a situation where the use of an informed refusal form might have protected the physician from allegations of negligent care and prevented a lawsuit. Though the physician was sure he had the conversation regarding risks around a delay in evaluation, including death, the lack of documentation of this discussion in the chart made the care very difficult to defend in front of a jury.
Medical Documentation That Matters; Separating the "Signal" from the "Noise" in EHR Documentation
More documentation isn't necessarily better. In fact, studies demonstrate how current medical documentation includes a lot of “noise,” without necessarily identifying the key “signal” that is important.
Active Shooter Response in the Healthcare Setting
There is a renewed focus on active shooter situations and the safety of medical providers and how to protect them, their staff, and patients. While there is no definitive solution to prevent these situations, there are options to prepare and train for them.
Documentation of Patient Communication
Failure to properly document patient communications can adversely affect care and lead to potential liability exposure for physicians. The experts at COPIC share what you need to know to protect yourself.
LifeBridge Nebraska Partner Appreciation
LifeBridge Nebraska has experienced tremendous growth over the past few months and much of that is in part to our generous sustainability partners. Our partners have demonstrated that they value and prioritize the health and wellness of Nebraska physicians. With their support, LifeBridge can continue to provide our confidential peer-to-peer physician coaching completely free of charge. Please take a moment to check out our partners websites.
Managing Difficult Interactions with Patients
Studies suggest that between 10–20% of patient visits are described as “difficult” by physicians, and with the pandemic, the incidence seems to have increased.
Key Legal and Regulatory Issues with Telehealth
Telemedicine is nothing new but it did take on a new relevance during the pandemic. As federal and state regulations catch up with the new reality, the experts at Copic tell you what you need to know to be compliant as you care for your remote patients.
Managing Patient Concerns About Wearable Device Data
There has been a significant increase in the use of consumer-marketed, wearable technologies that measure and report physiological data. As a consequence, physicians have noticed patients are starting to bring this information to appointments expecting something to be done with it. Understanding a few basic principles will help when seeing such patients.
Breaking Down the New Rules on Patient Access to Medical Records
In the era of open access, patient portals, and new information blocking rules, patients now have the ability to demand documentation of their visits with medical providers.
Understanding The Information Blocking Rule
Information Blocking is the term adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to address barriers to accessing electronically stored patient information by providers, patients, and others entitled to it.
Within Normal Limits—A New Podcast by COPIC
COPIC has launched a podcast called Within Normal Limits: Navigating Medical Risks. Hosted by Eric Zacharias, MD, an internal medicine doctor and physician risk manager with COPIC, the podcast offers insights for physicians and medical providers on pitfalls to avoid and best practices to improve patient care.
Navigating the Risks of Curbside Consults
SCENARIO 1: A PCP sees a patient who has just returned from Southeast Asia and is suffering from severe diarrhea. Later that day in the hospital cafeteria, the PCP bumps into a colleague who is an infectious disease specialist. The PCP asks his colleague, “What is best to treat traveler’s diarrhea from Southeast Asia for a patient with a sulfa allergy?”