Side Note: Lots of health care organizations and medical practices are shopping now for new electronic health records (EHRs). Why you may ask? Because this year, the government is offering substantial financial incentives to do so. The incentive program was created by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and goes into effect this year. […]

Side Note: Mistakes happen and there are actual cases of med mal. However, a lot of the time, as I’m sure you know, patients, or patients’ families, confuse poor outcomes for malpractice. This is because, unfortunately, we live in a culture today that demands that there is always someone to blame. It always has to […]

Side Note: We have seen time and time again what happens in rural parts of the country when there is a shortage of physicians. This case of an OBGYN in Illinois is a perfect example of why we need to take steps to prevent things like this from happening. We know that the Boomers are […]

Side Note: In an effort to reform med mal in this country, President Obama’s budget includes $250 million in Justice Department grants to assist states in rewriting their med mal laws. Because med mal case outcomes can vary wildly from state-to-state, trying to establish some sort of standards and predictability across state lines is long […]

Side Note: The state of Massachusetts is embarking on new health care reform. Governor Patrick recently introduced a bill that, if signed into law, would do a lot for med mal reform in the state. Already known for being progressive on health care issues, because of the state’s almost universal health care coverage, it comes […]

We are all familiar with the concept of defensive medicine: physicians ordering extra tests or procedures, not because they deem them medically necessary or insightful into their patient’s care, but instead to protect themselves against a med mal lawsuit, should one be brought against them. This, combined with excellent med mal coverage, seems to be […]

Side Note: Just as the field of medicine is ever changing and growing for physicians, so is the business of running a successful medical practice. With our increasingly litigious society, the mounting requirements put on physicians by the federal government and the rapidly growing use of technology in medical practices today, new areas of risk […]

Side Note: Because the American College of Physicians (ACP) realizes, like most of us, that federal caps on med mal non-economic damage awards are unlikely to become a reality for physicians in the near future, they are presenting an alternative plan to lower liability coverage costs: the use of health courts –although no legislation has […]

Side Note: As many physician practices are transitioning, or on the verge of transitioning, to electronic medical records (EMRs), a specific kind of medical liability is growing. The risk of a data breach is becoming more and more significant for physicians. Electronic medical records, combined with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act patient privacy […]