Page 11 - 2020 Risk Reduction Series Effective Systems_Part 1_Flipbook

SVMIC Risk Reduction Series: Effective Systems

to the provider who ordered it and ultimately to the patient.

Effective systems can help reduce adverse events and claims by
decreasing reliance on memory or informal mechanisms.

This course will also examine various systems issues associated

with claims resulting in a paid loss. The general categories of
system failures discussed in this course include failure to follow

up on:

• Lab or diagnostic imaging results

• Referrals to other providers

• Missed or canceled appointments

• Previously identified abnormal conditions

• Failure to notify patients of results and needed treatment

• Mishandling phone calls

Have you considered the responsibility for closing the loop on

tests or referrals you order? As well as your responsibility for

tracking those tests and notifying the patient of all test results?
If the ordering physician fails to do so, does any responsibility
flow to the next provider in line, for example, the physician’s

nurse practitioner (NP)? Does responsibility flow outward to

other providers who were not involved in ordering the test but
who are in receipt of results? Unfortunately, if someone drops
the ball, these questions may be answered by a judge or jury in

a negative way. The following is a case that illustrates each of

the areas of ineffective or nonexistent systems to be discussed
in this course.

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