Risk Management Recommendations
Welcome to OMIC’s Recommendations library, a collection of loss prevention and patient safety guides for ophthalmologists and their practices. Contact riskmanagement@omic.com with questions.
Found
45
resources.
Nov 20, 2024
| Recommendation
Due to the healthcare shortage of physicians and the increasing aging population, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) such as Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are considered as options to fill the void. There are liability risks to consider when employing APPs.
Apr 13, 2021
| Recommendation
The guidance included in this document regarding advertising will help ophthalmologists reduce their liability exposure, comply with underwriting requirements, and avoid uninsured risk.
Mar 8, 2014
| Recommendation
Medical malpractice lawsuits for negligent treatment of amblyopia are infrequent, but the risk to the pediatric patient’s vision is severe. If not treated appropriately by age nine, the child can have permanent vision loss.
Aug 29, 2024
| Recommendation
This resource was developed using the framework of the Medicare Conditions of Coverage Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requirements for ASCs.
Jun 12, 2024
| Recommendation
There are numerous factors to consider when assessing potential anesthesia liability during elective procedures.
Feb 21, 2023
| Recommendation
This risk management document presents suggestions to increase patient safety and decrease the likelihood of lawsuits related to these drugs. It also provides information about our sample consent documents for anti-VEGF agents.
Aug 13, 2020
| Recommendation
Cosmetic Botox and filler injections are frequently administered in ophthalmology practices. This resource guides to enhance patient safety and reduce the physician’s liability exposure.
Oct 5, 2024
| Recommendation
Cataract surgery is the source of the majority of medical malpractice claims reported to OMIC. Our cataract surgery recommendations can help reduce your professional liability exposure.
Oct 5, 2024
| Recommendation
Ophthalmologists are at times asked by patients to perform cataract surgery on the same or consecutive days. This will provide information for the physician to consider during the decision-making process.
Apr 13, 2023
| Recommendation
Ophthalmologists may share the care of ophthalmic surgery patients with community optometrists or optometrists within their practice. There are patient safety and liability risks associated with surgical comanagement.
Apr 13, 2023
| Recommendation
Optometrists are independent practitioners, but there are differences in education and legal scope of practice between eye physicians/surgeons and ODs.
Oct 23, 2020
| Recommendation
Dilating drops are used on countless patients daily during diagnostic examinations and surgical procedures. Understand the patient safety and liability risks associated with them.
Aug 9, 2024
| Recommendation
Disclosure of an adverse event or unanticipated outcome is important for patient safety, patient trust, patient right to autonomy to make decisions about treatment, continuity of care among providers, and to provide empathy.
Feb 6, 2023
| Recommendation
Inaccurate or incomplete documentation is a threat to patient safety and hampers the defense of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Conversely, careful documentation of the history, exam, and decision-making process may dissuade a lawsuit.
Feb 27, 2020
| Recommendation
Physicians may treat their employees and should be aware there are patient safety and professional liability risks if the physician does not provide medical care in the same manner as any other patient.
May 6, 2024
| Recommendation
The Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) was enacted by Congress in 1986 to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay, insurance status, national origin, race, creed, or color.
Nov 16, 2020
| Recommendation
Falls cause significant injury. This document offers some guidance on which patients are likely to fall, and provides additional screening tools. By asking some simple questions and watching for certain behaviors, ophthalmologists and the eye care team can identify and assist those most at risk.
Jul 13, 2017
| Recommendation
Here are some risk management recommendations to help you and your staff members prevent and better respond to the risks of the procedure. Issues addressed in Fluorescein Angiography Recommendations and Consent include delegation of tasks, informed consent, emergency response equipment, and management of complications.
Jun 12, 2017
| Recommendation
Ophthalmologists and their staff often provide free vision screening examinations. We feel that the very low risk of liability from these exams can be further minimized by taking a few steps.
Jul 8, 2022
| Recommendation
OMIC offers the following tools to help ophthalmologists strengthen their diagnostic and patient management process for GCA.
Aug 16, 2022
| Recommendation
This document explores aspects of the diagnostic process and offers risk management recommendations to help ophthalmologists reach better outcomes relative to GCA.
Jan 8, 2021
| Recommendation
Anticoagulation management of patients undergoing ophthalmic procedures has become increasingly challenging as the population ages and new antithrombotic agents come into use. OMIC claims data indicates that ophthalmologists who do not properly screen patients for bleeding risks and manage hemorrhage when it occurs often face malpractice lawsuits. By taking the steps discussed in this article, ophthalmologists can protect their patients and reduce the likelihood of a malpractice lawsuit.
May 6, 2024
| Recommendation
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules protect the privacy and security of health information and give patients rights to their health information.
Mar 21, 2023
| Recommendation
Informed consent is a process that includes both a physician discussion with the patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives AND a signature on a consent form.
Jun 17, 2024
| Recommendation
Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), hearing impairments, or vision issues may require communication and language assistance to ensure comprehension, proper informed consent, and legal compliance.
Aug 4, 2020
| Recommendation
Ophthalmologists have contacted OMIC to inquire about the medicolegal consequences of “off-label” use of these drugs.
Jan 8, 2024
| Recommendation
Ophthalmologists leave practices for many reasons, including illness, retirement, changes in employment status, and personal or family needs. Steps should be taken to promote continuity of care, prevent allegations of abandonment, and ensure access to the medical records.
Dec 16, 2024
| Recommendation
Improve patient safety and reduce risk by following our preoperative guidelines for patients undergoing cataract surgery with light adjustable lenses (LAL). Post-operative LAL adjustments may be performed by optometrists provided they follow our OMIC coverage requirements.
Nov 20, 2024
| Recommendation
For an informed consent discussion to be valid and appropriate, the patient must have the capacity to make medical decisions. If cognitive impairments are present , the patient's capacity to consent should be evaluated.
Aug 9, 2024
| Recommendation
Medical record retention policies and procedures should be developed to comply with state and federal laws, provide patient access, ensure continuity of care, and protect against legal or regulatory actions.
Nov 14, 2023
| Recommendation
Patients who do not show up for appointments or follow treatment recommendations represent a significant professional liability risk for ophthalmologists. This noncompliance toolkit discusses the issues and provides sample letters.
Nov 2, 2020
| Recommendation
Regardless of the surgery setting (office, ASC, or hospital), the same standard of care applies, and the patient's safety should be the guiding principle in the decision-making process.
Nov 2, 2020
| Recommendation
This analysis provides information to guide decision making about the preoperative medical assessment.
Oct 5, 2022
| Recommendation
Refractive surgery risk concerns include indications for surgery, patient selection, preoperative evaluation, off-label use, informed consent process, and immediate sequential bilateral surgery.
Oct 23, 2020
| Recommendation
From a risk management and patient safety perspective, if you are not sure if what you are doing constitutes research, or if there is any element of research in the procedure or practice, you should consult with your local Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Apr 1, 2022
| Recommendation
This ROP Safety Net Toolkit addresses hospital-based ROP care when treatment will be provided elsewhere. It contains sample protocols, which may need to be customized, and refers to ROP clinical care guidelines.
Apr 1, 2022
| Recommendation
This ROP Safety Net Toolkit addresses screening and treatment in the hospital. It contains sample protocols, which may need to be customized, and refers to ROP clinical care guidelines.
Apr 1, 2022
| Recommendation
This ROP Safety Net Toolkit addresses ROP care provided on an outpatient basis. It contains sample protocols, which may need to be customized, and refers to ROP clinical care guidelines.
Aug 15, 2018
| Recommendation
This document will present the obstacles to safe ROP care, OMIC's ROP claims experience, and our risk management recommendations.
Jan 1, 2023
| Recommendation
OMIC first developed and distributed ROP Safety Net protocols in 2006. Our experience in helping ophthalmologists implement these patient safety measures has convinced us that liability for ROP care can only be decreased if ophthalmologists work closely with neonatologists, nurses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), hospitals, and parents. We accordingly developed sample protocols—our ROP Safety Net Toolkit—for both office- and hospital-based care.
Mar 10, 2022
| Recommendation
Concerns about IVAV both as primary or salvage therapy have been addressed in the literature and at eye society meetings. In addition, many questions are currently being studied and debated. Despite these uncertainties, when faced with aggressive or refractive ROP, ophthalmologists at times feel there is no other prudent choice but to treat ROP with IVAV. This document will address those concerns, and provide risk management recommendations specific to the use of anti-VEGF agents “off-label” for the treatment of ROP.
May 9, 2019
| Recommendation
Each day, countless patients call their ophthalmologist to report problems and seek advice. This telephone screening toolkit will provide guidance on how to ensure safe telephone care during the day and after office hours.
Oct 23, 2020
| Recommendation
This resource provides guidance and sample letters for the steps needed to terminate the relationship for financial reasons.
Oct 23, 2020
| Recommendation
This resource provides sample letters and guidance to help minimize the risk of patient harm and allegations of patient abandonment when terminating care.
May 6, 2024
| Recommendation
Instituting a time-out process is known to increase patient safety by reducing wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong medication, and wrong patient errors.