OUM Chiropractor Insights

Texting with Patients: The Risks and Safer Alternatives

Sep 10, 2025 5:40:17 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management, Compliance

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Nearly everyone texts to communicate. It’s quick, easy, and convenient. However, texting with patients carries professional, legal, and ethical risks, including:

  1. Privacy and HIPAA compliance. Standard texting is not secure. Messages can be intercepted, viewed on shared devices, or accidentally sent to the wrong number. Therefore, any patient’s personal health information sent via text risks a HIPAA violation and possible fines.
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Maintaining Professional Boundaries with Patients

Sep 10, 2025 5:39:39 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management, Practice Management

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Professional boundaries are the ethical, legal, and relational limits that define the interactions between healthcare professionals and their patients. They protect the therapeutic relationship by ensuring that it remains focused on the patient’s health, safety, and well-being. Maintaining these boundaries is crucial for fostering trust, preserving professional integrity, and avoiding conflicts of interest.

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The Risks and Benefits of Patients Recording Visits

Aug 5, 2025 11:22:02 AM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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Patients recording, either audio or video, their encounters with healthcare providers has become increasingly common. While healthcare providers may be alarmed when a patient asks to record their visit, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Recording patient encounters has both risks and benefits.

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De-Escalation in Healthcare: Preventing Workplace Violence and Mitigating Risk

May 12, 2025 1:29:01 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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Workplace violence in healthcare settings is on the rise, putting providers at risk physically, emotionally, and legally. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other industries. For chiropractors, this presents not only a safety concern, but a risk management priority. Implementing strong de-escalation techniques can protect staff, improve patient care, and reduce liability.

The Growing Threat of Workplace Violence in Healthcare
Healthcare environments are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence. Contributing factors may include:

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Chiropractic Treatment of Sports-Related Injuries

Mar 12, 2025 9:28:12 AM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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In the United States alone, approximately 8.6 million sports-related injuries are reported each year. All types of sports have a potential for injury, whether from the trauma of contact with other players or from overuse or misuse of a body part. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains.

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The Role of Informed Consent in Patient Care and Medical Liability

Mar 10, 2025 2:53:25 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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As a doctor, you use your knowledge, experience, and medical judgment to determine the best course of treatment for your patient. However, adult patients with decision-making capacity have the right to choose or refuse to follow your treatment plan.

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Chiropractic Care and Cardiovascular Disease – A Risk Management Perspective

Jan 22, 2025 1:55:37 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Traditional treatment for cardiovascular disease often involves dietary and lifestyle changes, medication, or invasive procedures.

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Artificial Intelligence & Medical Documentation

Sep 16, 2024 2:09:26 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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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.

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Risk Management for Medical Emergencies in the Office Setting

May 31, 2024 4:44:50 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management, Practice Management

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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.

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The Importance of a Patient History

Mar 13, 2024 2:59:49 PM / by OUM Risk Management Specialist posted in Risk Management

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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.

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