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CRICO Coverage
Physician-Nurse Issues
Managed Care
Office Practice
Medical Records
Telephones and Electronic Technology
Patient Conflicts
Informed Consent
HIV/AIDS
Reporting Patient Conditions
Adverse Events
Legal Issues
Defending a Claim
Claims Data Reporting
Miscellaneous
Breast Care Management
Research Grants
CRICO Coverage
Do I have enough malpractice insurance?
Are CRICO physicians covered for professional services rendered outside the Harvard system?
Could I lose my house in a malpractice lawsuit?
Are peer review activities by physicians (such as credentialing) covered under the CRICO policy?
Are CRICO-insured physicians who self-report potential claims penalized?
How can I receive a copy of my medical malpractice claims history, or have it sent to a requesting institution?
How can I receive a copy of a CRICO insurance coverage face sheet for a physician?
Does CRICO cover a staff physician's volunteer medical activities?
As an individual physician, can I personally apply for CRICO's medical malpractice insurance coverage?
Physician-Nurse Issues
Should CRICO-insured nurses purchase their own insurance?
When do conflicts with a nurse increase a physician's liability?
When do conflicts with a physician increase a nurse's liability?
What are a physician's responsibilities when working with a nurse practicing in an expanded role?
What is a physician's responsibility when supervising nurses with prescriptive authority?
Managed Care
What are my risks from an informal "curbside consult"?
How do I reduce the risks associated with an increased patient load?
What patient safety issues may arise when a specialist assumes a primary care role or vice versa?
What are my responsibilities if care I recommend is disapproved by a third-party payor?
What are my responsibilities if I'm called regarding an unfamiliar patient in the ED?
Can I transfer a "difficult" managed care contract patient?
Office Practice
What equipment should I have in my office as a precaution for patient emergencies?
What am I required to do in order to accommodate patients with sensory disabilities?
What translation services should I provide for my patients?
If the patient can give a current history, should I review prior medical records?
What should I do when patients do not keep appointments or follow-up?
How much notice do I need to give patients if I am closing my practice?
Medical Records
How long do medical records, X-rays, fetal monitoring strips, etc. need to be retained?
Do I need to document all normal and abnormal findings from an examination?
What should be stated or written if the standard of previous care is questioned?
What should I do if a patient requests that information be withheld from the medical record?
Do I need patient consent for releasing medical records to a third party?
What should I do with medical records from my practice when I retire?
What are the risks surrounding electronic communication of medical records?
Telephones and Electronic Technology
How can I reduce my risk related to telephone consultations or assessments?
What are the patient safety issues surrounding medical advice via telephone?
What are the patient safety issues surrounding prescribing over the phone?
What are the risks in giving out patient information over my cellular phone?
Is it okay to leave messages on a patient's answering machine or voice mail?
How do I minimize the risk when using an electronic answering system after hours?
What precautions should I take when faxing information from my office?
What are the risk management issues surrounding the use of e-mail for patient information?
What are the patient safety issues surrounding telemedicine?
What are the risk management issues surrounding practicing medicine via the Internet?
Patient Conflicts
What should I do if a patient refuses testing needed to rule out life-threatening conditions?
What steps should I take to resolve a conflict about a patient's advance directive?
How can I avoid allegations of patient abuse?
How can I safely terminate a relationship with a difficult patient?
When is it inappropriate to terminate a patient relationship?
Is reporting of inappropriate transfers under EMTALA (COBRA) mandatory?
Do I have to forward records to another physician for a patient who has failed to pay me?
Informed Consent
How should I decide what to disclose in the consent process?
Which are better, general or procedure-specific consent forms?
What special issues arise in the consent process when the patient is a minor?
What should I do if a patient refuses to sign a consent form?
What should be done if an obstetrical patient refuses to sign a consent form during delivery?
HIV/AIDS
What can/should I document in the patient medical record about HIV and AIDS?
What information relating to a patient's HIV status can be shared, and with whom?
Can I warn the partner of an HIV-positive patient about the risk?
Reporting Patient Conditions
What information about an adult child's health situation can be shared with parents?
What patient conditions must I report?
Adverse Events
What should I do after a serious adverse event?
What are the pros and cons of using an addendum in a medical record after an adverse event?
Is an apology after an adverse event treated as an admission of negligence?
Should an institution pay for dental injuries incurred during intubation for anesthesia?
Is free servicing accounts to try to avoid claims a good idea?
What responsibilities does my office practice have for reporting medical device adverse events?
Legal Issues
How should I document peer review discussions of sensitive case reviews?
How should I respond to an attorney who requests (only) medical information?
What happens if I ignore a "Summons and Complaint"?
What should I do when I get a subpoena for my office records?
Do depositions matter if I'm not named as a defendant?
What should I do if I am deposed?
How should I respond to a written complaint from a patient or a patient's family?
Should I talk to the attorney representing a patient who has filed a claim against me?
Should I continue to treat a patient after an attorney has requested his or her medical records?
What should I say to a patient who is suing me?
Who can I talk to about a malpractice claim against me without it being discoverable?
What is the (Massachusetts) statute of limitations for medical malpractice suits?
How should I respond to a complaint notification from the BRM?
Are residents, fellows, and medical students exempt from malpractice claims?
Defending a Claim
What is the difference between a malpractice claim and a malpractice suit?
Are my interests really protected by my malpractice insurance carrier?
Should I hire my own attorney, and at whose expense?
What are some common reasons for settling malpractice cases?
What criteria are used to select medical experts?
What happens if one defendant wants to settle a claim and another one doesn't?
What will I need to do during the course of a medical malpractice lawsuit against me?
What is the tribunal?
Do practice guidelines help or hurt the defense of a malpractice claim?
Claims Data Reporting
Who has access to my malpractice claims information?
Miscellaneous
What should I do if prescription pads or controlled substances are missing?
What steps do I need to take if I have an employee protected by a restraining order?
What are the patient safety implications of reusing disposable medical devices or resterilization services?
What are the risk management implications of external service contracts?
What are the risks of using an FDA-approved drug for a non-approved use?
What are the risk management issues related to using restraints?
What should I do if a seemingly impaired patient insists on driving?
Breast Care Management
Does a self-discovered lump that cannot be detected by a clinician require follow-up?
What do I tell a breast care patient who is unsatisfied with a negative finding?
What communication practices can help reduce allegations of a failure to diagnose breast cancer?
What patient follow-up practices can help reduce allegations of a failure to diagnose breast cancer?
What practices around receiving and reporting test results can help reduce allegations of a failure to diagnose breast cancer?
What documentation practices can help reduce allegations of a failure to diagnose breast cancer?
What common assumptions can increase the risk of an allegation of a failure to diagnose breast cancer?
Research Grants
What is the CRICO/RMF Research Grant Program?
Who is eligible to apply for CRICO/RMF's Research Grants?
What is the Innovative Health IT Solutions Grant?
Is the Innovative Health IT Solutions Grant part of the CRICO/RMF Patient Safety Research Grant Program?
Who is eligible to apply for the Innovative Health IT Solutions Grant?
How are Innovative Health IT Solutions Grant applications selected?
What is the deadline for the Innovative Health IT Solutions Grant proposals?
Who do I contact for additional information about the patient safety research grants?
