HJBR Mar/Apr 2020

Q&A 20 MAR / APR 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   How does risk management educa- tion help to avoid med-mal claims and improve patient safety? The goal is to reduce risk for both insureds and patients. Risk management education helps physicians and healthcare providers reduce their risk exposure in their prac- tices, and improve their defensibility against medical malpractice claims. Taking proac- tive measures to protect a medical practice can mean the difference between a quality patient outcome and amalpractice claimor regulatory fine. Risk management education supports learning for quality improvement, main- taining skills, and up-to-date knowledge. It addresses topics such as medical records management, informed consent, patient dismissal, documentation, diagnostic error, professional interaction, provider burnout, and many others. Most patient safety issues are rooted in cognition, communication, performance, professionalism, and system challenges or deficiencies. By educating insureds about topics that address these areas, insurance carriers help to lower risk and improve patient safety. LAMMICO continues to search for new and innovative ways to meet the ever- changing needs of healthcare providers, and help them improve patient safety and minimize risk. The commitment to risk management and patient safety education varies widely among medical professional insurance carriers, with LAMMICO assum- ing a lead role through its riskmanagement education subsidiary, Medical Interactive Community. Where do you see med-mal in Louisi- ana heading in the future? What might change, and what challenges will carri- ers or insureds face? The continued consolidation of healthcare andmedical practices will require the devel- opment of products and services tomeet the needs of these consolidated entities. Several factors will put increased pressure onmedical liability risk exposure. The deliv- ery of medical care will likely continue to be less relationship-driven. This further ero- sion of the provider-patient relationship has the potential to increase patients’ propen- sity to file a medical malpractice claim. The ever-increasing demands placed on health- care providers by electronic health records and burdensome regulations may increase medical malpractice risk, as providers are required to devote more time to adminis- trative tasks at the expense of patient care. Provider burnout will likely continue to be a problem that can adversely impact patient care. To be successful in the future, insurance companies will need to look to innovation and data analytics in their efforts to quickly adapt to the changing needs of the healthcare community andmedical liability system, all the while, managing expenses without sacrificing protection and quality. How does your background as a surgeon help you as a med-mal insurance com- pany CEO? I believemy career as a general surgeon has prepared me well for my current position. I was part of the leadership of bothmy surgical group and my hospital in Alexandria. I have been with LAMMICO since 1996, assuming positions of greater responsibility and leader- ship roles with the company duringmy tenure. As a physician, I have a unique understand- ing of the current challenges that doctors, healthcare providers, and hospitals face. LAM- MICO’s focus continues to be on patient safety, whichwas a very important element of my sur- gical practice. While I do miss direct patient care, I feel honored to uphold the mission of LAMMICO to help ensure the availability of secure and affordablemedical professional lia- bility insurance coverage, and the delivery of quality patient care throughout Louisiana. n “Risk management education helps physicians and healthcare providers reduce their risk exposure in their practices, and improve their defensibility against medical malpractice claims.”