Resource Library
The Resource Library is a compendium of consent forms, risk management recommendations, sample documents, articles, and other risk management materials to promote ophthalmic patient safety and reduce liability. Contact riskmanagement@omic.com with questions.
Found
44
resources.
Aug 14, 2024
| Article
We performed qualitative analyses of medical records, patient complaints, and legal discovery to understand what motivated patients to file a claim after receiving premium IOLs or premium cataract-related services, such as use of the femtosecond laser or limbal relaxing incisions (LRI).
Aug 14, 2024
| Case Study
Over the last two years, OMIC has seen an increase in the frequency of cataract surgery claims. In response, Risk Management performed an in-depth analysis of 2016-2020 claims involving premium cataract services and our findings are detailed in the lead article.
Jul 8, 2024
| Risk Management Bulletin
To better protect yourself from anesthesia liability exposure, review OMIC’s risk recommendations regarding each of these factors.
Dec 8, 2020
| Consent Form
Jul 16, 2014
| Consent Form
Aug 27, 2024
| Consent Form
Aug 25, 2024
| Consent Form
Aug 27, 2024
| Consent Form
Sep 24, 2014
| Consent Form
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.
Nov 7, 2019
| Consent Form
Jun 26, 2019
| Risk Management Bulletin
Cataract surgery is the second most frequently performed ophthalmic procedure in the United States, and remains the source of the majority of the medical malpractice claims reported to OMIC.
Aug 14, 2024
| Case Study
Credibility is essential in successfully defending a lawsuit. When chart notes are altered or made outside the patient’s chart, this significantly decreases the credibility of an insured. Such chart alterations and outside notes after an adverse outcome can hinder the defense of a case and leads to increased settlement value.
Sep 22, 2015
| Article
This issue of the Digest will report on a study of OMIC claims involving 18 patients diagnosed with GCA between 1993 and 2014. This constellation of incomplete history, poor coordination of care among physicians, and problems with patient adherence occurred in many of the claims, including the one in the Closed Claim Study.
Jul 9, 2018
| Consent Form
Oct 11, 2013
| Consent Form
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.
Aug 10, 2022
| Risk Management Bulletin
OMIC offers risk management strategies to ensure patient safety, and avoid liability risks associated with surgical comanagement, whether it takes place within a practice or outside of it. These recommendations are based upon OMIC claims experience.
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.
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.
Oct 15, 2018
| Article
A number of plaintiffs who filed a claim against OMIC insureds after developing endophthalmitis inadvertently delayed their own diagnosis and treatment. Our experts reviewing such claims try to determine whether the defendant could have handled the situation better.
Aug 15, 2018
| Article
Infection is a risk of all surgeries. Endophthalmitis is a particularly worrisome type of infection because it can lead to severe vision loss, blindness, and loss of the eye.
Aug 12, 2023
| Article
OMIC has published two reports of endophthalmitis claims studies, one in 2006 and another in 2017. This issue of the Digest updates those studies with data from OMIC’s endophthalmitis claims closed between January 2018 and December 2022, thereby creating a complete analysis of endophthalmitis claims experience from the time of OMIC’s founding in 1987 through 2022.
Oct 11, 2013
| Article
Florida passed a law on comanagement (Ch 2013-26, Laws of Florida) that went into effect on July 1, 2013. Understand your obligations to the patient under this law.
Jul 1, 2015
| Consent Form
Aug 15, 2014
| Article
When plaintiffs sue for medical malpractice after eye surgery, experts review the entire process of care from diagnosis of the condition to management of postoperative problems. Sometimes, claims that initially appear to be about the outcome of a surgical procedure ultimately hinge on care provided well before the surgery. This issue of the Digest will examine allegations of negligent preoperative evaluation, specifically, medical preoperative decision-making.
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.
May 10, 2023
| Consent Form
May 10, 2023
| Consent Form
Dec 12, 2024
| Risk Management Bulletin
If there are cognitive impairments that potentially impact the patient’s ability to make decisions about the condition and treatment recommended, the patient's capacity to consent should be evaluated.
Mar 25, 2015
| Case Study
Complaints from state health departments or medical boards should be referred to the OMIC claims department. No matter how “informal” a request for a response to a patient’s complaint may seem, these matters are serious and require legal representation in order to assure that the proper process is followed. This case also highlights the importance of the informed consent process when discussing a complex treatment plan with a patient.
Oct 11, 2013
| Sample Letter or Form
Use this form to comply with Florida law on comanagement.
Jan 8, 2024
| Sample Letter or Form
When retiring or leaving a practice, use this form to document the patient's request to have someone outside the practice perform their postoperative follow-up care.
Jan 8, 2024
| Sample Letter or Form
When retiring or leaving a practice, use this form to to document the patient's understanding that another provider within the practice will provide their postoperative follow-up care.
Sep 6, 2024
| Consent Form
Dec 11, 2020
| Consent Form
Dec 22, 2015
| Case Study
Only one postoperative examination occurred prior to proceeding with cataract surgery on the second eye. If another examination had taken place prior to the second surgery, it is possible that some vision loss may have been detected, thus leading to further exploration and cancellation of the second surgery.
Nov 11, 2012
| Sample Letter or Form
This sample form can be used to document salient information regarding the surgery.
Dec 19, 2019
| Risk Management Bulletin
Aug 28, 2024
| Risk Management Bulletin
Instituting a time-out process is known to increase patient safety by reducing wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong medication, and wrong patient errors.
Mar 5, 2021
| Consent Form
Dec 22, 2015
| Article
Over the course of a 35-year career, 95% of ophthalmologists will have at least one claim against them and more than half can expect two or three. Since 1987, OMIC has closed more than 400 claims brought against young ophthalmologists (YOs).