California law provides that any adult patient and any minor patient authorized by law to consent to medical treatment, is entitled to inspect and request a copy of their medical record upon written request to the healthcare provider and payment of reasonable costs to make the record available.  (California Health and Safety Code Section 123110)

Notwithstanding the usual suspects that hinder electronic medical record implementation — initial costs, interoperability problems, training burdens, and altered physician-patient dynamics — there’s also the risk of a pure system malfunction. In a malpractice suit after an admitted malfunction, a physician’s actions will still be scrutinized.

What do you do when a patient comes into your office with a dog? Tell them to leave? Allow the dog no matter what? The answer is that it depends. Service dogs are governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Disabled Persons Act (CDPA), the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). 

CAP announced the release of its newest data study, A Focused Review of Radiology Closed Claims. While the central theme of the study is radiology, the data will be valuable to any practice that regularly utilizes radiology services. It is currently available for free here.

Risk management has always been a central component of CAP’s strategy to help its member physicians. Through its Risk Management Program, CAP provides a unique blend of services designed to help member physicians control the risks inherent in today’s practice of medicine and, thus, mitigate potential claims.