Geriatric Abdominal Emergencies
February 13, 2017
Acute abdominal pain presents a significant challenge to all healthcare professionals who care for geriatric patients. The signs and symptoms may be atypical, the differential diagnosis is vast, the workup is time-consuming, and the stakes are high. It is estimated that of all elderly patients who present to the emergency department with abdominal pain, as…Read More
Common Errors in Chest Pain Diagnosis
February 8, 2017
The chief complaint of chest pain is common among patients presenting to the office, clinic, urgent care or emergency department. While heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., medical error is the third leading cause. Furthermore, missed or delayed diagnoses are responsible for 57% of malpractice claims in emergency medicine, according…Read More
Chest Pain Documentation Pearls
February 7, 2017
Patients with chest pain are a common and constant challenge to clinicians, whether in the office, clinic, urgent care or emergency department. The clinical presentations may be confusing, the differential diagnoses are myriad, and not all patients with chest pain will have a serious underlying etiology. Lawsuits involving the care of patients with chest pain…Read More
Heart Disease Hits Close to Home
February 3, 2017
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. It’s responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths. Because of its prominence, we have all likely been touched by this disease. Our staff shares their stories of how heart disease has touched their lives in the hopes of…Read More
Targeting Obstetrics Malpractice Claims
February 1, 2017
When creating a loss prevention program, obstetrics (OB) is a logical place to focus. It tends to be one of the riskiest specialties in medicine. Here we’ll highlight the research that points to why OB remains a focal point of organizational leadership and discuss the three attributes a loss prevention program in OB should have….Read More
EMR Documentation Discrepancies Spell Danger
January 30, 2017
The Dangerous Discrepancies One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome during the defense of a malpractice suit is a significant discrepancy in the medical record. The discrepancies may involve the nurses, physicians, advanced practice clinicians, EMS personnel, and any records related to the patient. Often, a discrepancy may be nothing more than a minor…Read More
Hot Topics: Top 10 Blogs of 2016
December 27, 2016
We’ve featured a variety of topics, cases, and missed diagnoses on our blog this year, and we hope that you’ve found the content useful and relevant. In case you missed some of 2016’s most popular posts, here are the top 10 articles from the blog this year, according to our website visitor statistics. What was your…Read More
Confessions of an Antibiotic Abuser
May 23, 2016
The discoverer of penicillin, Sir Alexander Fleming, warned many decades ago that the “public will demand [the drug and]…then will begin an era…of abuses.” His prophecy has been realized, and I readily confess that I am guilty. During my 37 years in family practice and emergency medicine, I admit that I prescribed antibiotics for viral…Read More
