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 podiatric 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.

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that refers to nerve diseases that impact the nerves outside your brain or spinal cord and cause numbness, weakness, or pain, usually in the hands and feet. These conditions can result from traumatic injuries, vascular and blood problems, autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, kidney and liver disorders, nutritional or vitamin imbalances, alcoholism, exposure to toxins, certain cancers and tumors, chemotherapy, or infections. One of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a diagnosis that is frequently involved in medical malpractice lawsuits against podiatrists. It is not uncommon to see plaintiff attorney ads targeting individuals who have been diagnosed with CRPS. Why? Because the plaintiff’s medical expenses and other damages such as pain and suffering, lost wages, family disruption, and loss of quality of life can be quite high. Therefore, settlements or jury verdicts in these claims can exceed a million dollars.

The most common precursors to CRPS are fractures, surgery, sprains/strains, burns, cuts, being in a cast, and nerve injury. CRPS can occur in anyone at any age, but it is more common in women and in middle-aged individuals.

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.

Over the past few years, the landscape of medical malpractice insurance has seen various changes that cause increased premiums. The rise in premium cost has sparked debate among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and insurers alike. To understand why insurance rates are on the rise, it is crucial to unpack the range of factors that contribute to this complex issue.

Deciding to go from a private practice to a large group practice is a significant step in a podiatrist’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 large group practice.

As a podiatrist, you have no doubt seen patients with wounds, masses, or lesions on their lower extremities. If these wounds, masses, or lesions are later found to be skin cancer, the treating podiatrist is at risk of a lawsuit. A common allegation in these cases is a delay in diagnoses and treatment of cancer resulting in harm to the patient. Skin cancer developing on the lower extremities is not uncommon and podiatric medical physicians are in a unique position to detect these types of cancers on their patients.

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:

If you prescribe opioids in your practice, it is important to be familiar with current clinical practice guidelines for prescribing opioids, DEA requirements, and federal and state laws and regulations to reduce your professional and administrative liability risk. In this article we will discuss some of the guidelines, requirements, and regulations relating to prescribing opioids.

Over the years, there have been many lawsuits filed against physicians because the patient was not satisfied with a surgical outcome. It could have been a post-operative complication, delayed healing, prolonged pain, cosmetically undesirable result, or a host of other reasons. In the majority of these cases, the physician was found to have acted within the standard of care and the case was eventually dropped or in the event the case went to trial, the jury found in favor of the physician. In the meantime, a lot of time, effort, money, frustration, and stress was spent on claims in which the medicine was good.

So, Why Do These Patients Sue?
This quote by S. Jay Jayasankar, MD is insightful, “The patient’s expectation, not ours, is the yardstick by which our patients measure the course of recovery, occurrence of complications, and the outcome.” If the patient’s expectations are not met, the patient is more apt to sue, regardless of whether malpractice occurred.