Analyzing Primary Care-Related Malpractice Claims in New Research Report

BOSTON (PRWEB) March 12, 2019

Coverys, a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance, today released its latest Red Signal Report(SM), providing a data-driven look at the state of primary care in the United States. The report analyzes 1,800 closed primary care-related medical professional liability claims at Coverys across a five-year period from 2013-2017 to identify risks and illuminate the warning signals and safety vulnerabilities within primary care practices.

"The role of the primary care provider (PCP) has become increasingly challenging, with yesterday's family doctor now accountable for all aspects of the patient care continuum. This includes referral management, management of multi-morbidities, and transfer to long-term care, all while keeping a close eye on utilization, appropriate levels of care, and patient quality metric outcomes," said Robert Hanscom, VP of business analytics at Coverys and co-author of the report. "This demanding environment is compounded by challenges including increased patient volumes with shorter office visits and unpredictable transitions of care. Anything but astute attention to every aspect of the patient journey can lead to unintended injuries and malpractice claims against the PCP."

Key findings from the Red Signal Report include:
For PCPs, diagnostic errors were the leading type of claim (46%), accounting for the
highest proportion of indemnity paid (68%). The top allegation for primary care
providers involves inadequate patient assessment. This step includes the capture of a
complete family history and a thorough physical exam.

Medical treatment-related claims were the second most common allegation for PCPs,
just over 20%. These claims involve issues with care rendered from non-procedural
therapies. They frequently are associated with cardiac treatments, pain management,
wound care, and blood administration.

The most critical step in the medication process for PCPs is the monitoring of the
patient's medication regimen. These claims often result in high-severity injuries; this
is especially the case when high-risk medications such as anticoagulants and opioids
are not being closely managed.

When being transferred from one healthcare setting to another or to home, patients
are vulnerable to unexpected issues when there are failures by the clinical care team
to communicate and hand off critical information related to their care.

Beyond examining primary care-related signal events, the authors detail evidence-based recommendations for PCPs to address many of the most pressing risk issues.

"Primary care physicians play a critical role in the delivery of a timely and accurate diagnosis, selection of treatment therapies, and the monitoring of high-risk medications. Failure to correctly assess patient conditions during these complex phases of care can result in significant patient harm," said Robin Webster, senior risk consultant at Coverys and co-author of the report. "Our risk management recommendations offer providers the opportunity to increase patient safety and quality of care and improve reimbursement."

Strategies are included in the report that is available to view on the Coverys website here.

This is the second report in Coverys' Red Signal Report series, which previously explored radiology claims data. The series is designed to identify the major risk factors, claims warning signals, and safety vulnerabilities within specific specialties and clinical areas where education and practice change initiatives can improve patient safety, reduce malpractice exposures, and increase reimbursements for providers. The report is co-authored by Maryann Small, director of data governance & business analytics; Robert Hanscom, VP of business analytics; and Robin Webster, senior risk consultant.

About Coverys
Coverys is a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance for medical practitioners and health systems. Coverys provides a full range of healthcare liability insurance options, advanced risk analytics, and best-in-class risk mitigation and education resources to help clients anticipate, identify, and manage risk to reduce errors and improve outcomes.

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