Minimize Liability Risk with

Better Charting

“Improving office efficiency can reduce opportunities

  for insurance fraud and malpractice. Investing in your

  charts may even reduce insurance premiums.”

  –– Matt Bigler, senior vice  

  president of sales for POS

In the middle of what many consider a nationwide malpractice liability crisis, even the smallest steps can help minimize risk. While your underwriter and attorney are your best resources for risk assessments and best-practices standards, one place to start is with your charting system.

“Improving office efficiency can reduce opportunities for insurance fraud and malpractice,” says Matt Bigler, senior vice president of sales for POS. “Investing in your charts may even reduce insurance premiums.”

Documentation is Key

According to the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM), finding the right liability coverage starts with finding a specialty broker who will apply the appropriate risk profiles for your specialty. But regardless of your area of practice, the importance of proper documentation is undisputed.

The AAUCM suggests evaluating medical record systems and office procedures to determine if risk reduction mechanisms are in place, and indicates that when defending malpractice litigation, documentation is key.       

Not only do decisions in malpractice cases often rest upon the legal significance of the medical chart, charts also affect decisions regarding whether cases are pursued in the first place.

“Generally, we know that documentation – or the lack of it – is what can cause a plaintiff’s lawyer to determine that investment in a claim is worthwhile,” say James Saxton, Esq., and Maggie M. Finklestein, Esq., in a Physician’s News Digest article. “Therefore, if we know that documentation is not occurring to the extent or in the manner that could help prevent a lawsuit, you can focus on documentation (to manage risk).”

While converting your practice to electronic health records (EHR) can serve to mitigate some risk, such a transition is not always suitable to every practice.

“EHR works for many offices, but it isn’t the right fit for all,” Bigler says. “For those who choose to work with traditional file folders, there are still many ways to improve documentation.”­­­­

Custom Chart Solutions

In addition to increasing office efficiency, saving time and saving money, custom charts from POS can go a long way toward protecting your practice from costly fraud or malpractice concerns.

By utilizing innovative features such as POS-I-TAB chart dividers, everyone in your practice can have quick access to vital patient information. One of the best ways to organize Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) forms is to print them on the front of the chart.

“Many of our clients are either using tabs for HIPAA forms or printing them directly onto charts,” Bigler says. “They’re pleased with the greater degree of organization our charts allow.”

From color-coded charts to tabs, pockets, dividers, fasteners, labels and custom printing, POS provides a variety of ways to ensure your office documentation is of the highest caliber to minimize your risk.