At Tego Insurance, you will always receive responsive, professional and expert medico-legal advice and claims support so you can continue to focus on providing quality patient care. Tego Insurance’s range of products include medical indemnity insurance for medical practitioners, medical centres and day clinics.
Medical Indemnity Insurance
As a Medical Indemnity Insurance provider, we understand the importance of having a solid recall and reminder system for the follow up of results, tests, referrals and appointments. Ensure a Medical Practice have these systems is critical in order to ensure patient safety for preventative and continuing care.
A recall system means a doctor will recall a patient when there is a ‘clinically’ significant issue. Reminders are usually more preventative and even if the patient decides not to attend, a medical practitioner should ensure to make notes in the patient’s health records.
While Medical Practice Insurance and Medical Malpractice Indemnity Insurance may respond to defend a practitioner in the event of a failure to recall a patient it is essential that appropriate policies and procedures are in place when it comes to patient follow up. Here are a few basic steps to ensuring you have an effective system:.
- Contact details – Are they up to date? Do you periodically check details are accurate or when a patient presents to the clinic?
- Communication – Have you communicated with your patient about the importance of responding to a recall?
- It takes a team – Are you involving your whole team (medical practitioners, administrative staff and nurses) in making certain your recall and reminder systems are being effectively used and monitored. Do you carry out regular training and testing of the systems and processes?
- Recording results – Are your imaging reports, pathology results, and clinical correspondence being reviewed, dealt with, and placed in the patient’s health record?
- Paper-based recall systems – do you have a book for recalling abnormal results? Do you have a designated staff in charge of monitoring it?
- An entry noting the recall and its method should be made in the patient’s health record
- Electronic health records – do you have a ‘read-receipt’ of computer generated recalls and reminders?
Medical Practice Insurance & Medical Indemnity Insurance for Doctors
Medical practice and medical indemnity insurance policies should respond in the event that an adverse incident arises following the failure to recall a patient. Claims for delayed diagnosis is an allegation that may follow when a patient has not been appropriate and timely recalled back to the practice.
In Conclusion
Tego Insurance offers medical indemnity insurance for medical practitioners. We have a profound understanding of the Australian medical profession and the ever-changing healthcare industry. It’s this expertise that allows us to provide leading cover with more choice, innovation and greater flexibility. Contact us to find out more.
This publication is general in nature and is not comprehensive or constitute legal or medical advice. You should seek legal, medical or other professional advice before relying on any content, and practice proper clinical decision making with regard to individual circumstances. Persons implementing any recommendations contained in this publication must exercise their own independent skill or judgment or seek appropriate professional advice relevant to their own particular practice. Compliance with any recommendations will not in any way guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients and others coming into contact with the health professional or practice. Tego Insurance Pty Ltd is not responsible to you or anyone else for any loss suffered in connection with the use of this information.