You might be wondering what a dental practice has to do with chiropractic medicine. Well, unfortunately, your chiropractic practice could be just as vulnerable to a HIPAA violation as any other healthcare practice. This recent case illustrates the devastating repercussions of failing to comply with the HIPAA Right of Access Rules. Read below to find out how this happened.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is generally defined as computer systems that can perform complex tasks that previously only a human could do, such as reasoning, decision-making, or problem-solving. AI is rapidly being integrated into our world, including healthcare. Proponents of the use of AI in healthcare believe it has the potential to make healthcare more efficient, less expensive, more accessible, and safer for patients. 

AI Software for Medical Documentation
One of the more common uses of AI in physician offices is software for medical record documentation. This AI software is being marketed as a tool to make documentation more accurate and less burdensome. AI medical documentation tools work by using advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze and interpret large amounts of data related to healthcare, including patient records, lab results, and clinical notes. A key component of these tools is natural language processing (NLP), which allows the AI to understand and generate human-like language.

You may have staffed your practice with well-qualified people, but now they need proper training to understand your practice and its culture, their role within your practice, your policies and procedures, patient population, state and federal requirements such as HIPAA and OSHA, and other office practices. (If you need help with hiring, read our blog article, “Hiring the Best Staff for Your Practice”!)

Most practitioners are highly aware of the importance of maintaining medical malpractice insurance coverage to protect themselves financially in the event of a malpractice claim. However, practitioners are less aware of the administrative claims they could face.

To provide the best care for your patients and run an office practice, you need help. You need a staff that reflects your values, fits in with your office culture, increases the efficiency of your practice, and helps maintain a positive working environment.

Therefore, it is crucial to hire staff that are well qualified for their respective positions, can work effectively as part of a team, and adapt to the dynamic nature of a chiropractic medical office. They must be able to effectively communicate with patients, families, other members of your healthcare team, other healthcare professionals, and foster relationships with all these various parties. Staff members should be customer service-oriented, dependable, friendly, compassionate, flexible, able to manage conflicts, willing to learn, and deeply committed to patient privacy.

A patient suffers cardiac arrest while waiting in the exam room. An elderly visitor falls in the waiting room, is complaining of leg pain and is unable to get up. A diabetic staff member passes out from hypoglycemia. These are just a few examples of unexpected medical emergencies that could happen in a medical office.

Deciding to go from a private practice to a group practice is a significant step in a chiropractor’s career. It's a decision laden with considerations, from professional growth opportunities to financial implications, and of course, your malpractice coverage. Here are some key points to consider from a professional liability insurance standpoint if you are planning to join a group practice.

When a doctor does not refer a patient to a specialist for additional care, further diagnostics, or for treatment that only another physician can provide, they may be considered liable for negative consequences if the patient suffers as a result.

When a doctor does not provide a referral in time or at all, the patient may suffer serious complications, including:

A new patient comes to you for an initial visit. You perform a chiropractic adjustment based upon the patient’s complaints and much to your surprise, the patient develops increased pain or has an adverse reaction to treatment and must be referred to another provider for further workup and treatment. While this scenario doesn’t happen often, it can and does happen. And when it does, it can lead to a lawsuit against the chiropractor.

As a practitioner, you have most likely experienced an unexpected outcome in your care and treatment of a patient. It does not mean you are a bad doctor. It happens even with the most experienced doctor, but it can be very distressing for you and your patient. How can you protect yourself from risk and maintain a healthy doctor-patient relationship in the event of an unexpected outcome?

Start at the Beginning
First, prepare your patients for the possibility of an unexpected outcome. At the beginning when you’re developing a treatment plan with your patient, discuss the risks and benefits of your plan, including the most likely complications or side effects. Include a discussion of any risk factors that the patient may have that might affect the success of your plan. With medically complex patients, discuss the treatment challenges and the fact that they may require treatment from a team of specialists/healthcare professionals.