APMA News - October 2011 - (Page 52)

Insurance Advisor By William F. Munsey, DPM Patient ‘Prenups’? QUESTION: The topic of discussion in the doctors’ lounge today was whether it was a good idea to require new patients to sign an agreement promising not to file a frivolous lawsuit and agreeing to arbitration if something should go wrong. Would such an agreement actually prevent a lawsuit? What effect would asking a patient to sign such an agreement have on doctor-patient relations? ANSWER: If the patient is willing to sign such an agreement, it may deter him or her from taking legal action in the event of an unwanted result. However, any good plaintiff’s attorney would be able to get around the agreement, so the actual protection is questionable. Asking a potential patient to sign the agreement makes a negative impression and is not a good way to start a doctor/patient relationship. The Sorry Works! Coalition (e-mail doug@sorryworks. net) accountability document (below) takes a positive approach to establishing a working relationship with your patients that is worth considering. You may choose to incorporate some of these principles in your patient documents. must cancel an appointment, please give the office staff as much advance warning as possible so we can give your time slot to another patient. Before arriving for a visit, please take time to consider and write down any questions or concerns so you can share them with me in an efficient manner. If you have an especially long list of questions and concerns, you may consider talking to my staff to schedule a second appointment so I can give you the appropriate amount of time. If necessary, you may consider bringing a friend or family member to visits to help you understand my diagnosis and recommendations. Two heads are always better than one. Please follow my advice. If you have questions or concerns about my advice, please tell my staff or me, and again, you are always welcome to obtain a second opinion. But silence helps no one. Please fill my prescriptions and follow directions given to you by the pharmacist. If you have questions or concerns about my prescription, including ability to pay, please let me or my staff know. We understand that sometimes drug costs can be very high, but there are many ways we can help with samples, coupons, or perhaps a different prescription. But silence helps no one. When in doubt about anything, call my office or the exchange, no matter what time of day or night. We would rather hear about a non-issue than to never hear about a real problem. Let us make the determination. That’s how we serve you. Again, silence helps no one. If there is a problem or possible medical error, I want you to remain committed to our relationship. It’s okay to be angry and upset, but please come back to me and my office to see if we can fix the problem or address any concerns. This is our partnership; this is our pact. We will work together through good and bad with the permanent goal of improving your health. Let’s be teammates. n Sorry Works! Patient Accountability Document I want to be your physician. I want to enter into a relationship with you built on trust and respect whereby we are teammates working together to improve your health. As your physician, I will always strive to provide you with the best care possible. I will always be an active listener so I can understand your problems and concerns and will always provide treatments and recommendations that I believe are in your best interest. Furthermore, you are always welcome to obtain a second opinion because I always want to make sure we are doing right by you. Though rare, medical errors do happen. If there is ever a problem or potential medical error, I will remain committed to you and to our relationship. I will empathize and take care of your immediate needs and then investigate to learn what happened. If necessary, I will apologize for the error and be committed to seeing that all of your needs, medical and otherwise, are met. I will never engage in a frivolous defense or cover-up. You deserve the truth from me at all times. As the patient, you must be equally committed to our relationship. Please keep your appointments with me, but if you 52 APMA News October 2011 Editor’s note: It is always advisable to review such documents with your medical malpractice carrier to make certain no commitments have been made that might potentially jeopardize your coverage. Dr. Munsey can be reached at wfmunseydpm@ gmail.com.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - October 2011

APMA News - October 2011
President’s Message
Contents
ICD-10 in Practice: Coding for Fifth Metatarsal Injury
ICD-10 Benchmarks and Timeline
Team APMA Runs Away with the Show
Medical Mission to Costa Rica: Identifying Fungal Infections of the Foot
Federal Advocacy Forum
Resolutions Submissions
IT Consultant
Can They Really Do That?
Reimbursement
Members Who Know Media
Technofile
Young Voices
Small Business 101
APMAPAC Chair Report
APMA All Stars
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
New Members
Death Notices
Annual Scientific Meeting Registration Form
Annual Scientific Meeting Sponsors
APMAPAC Update
Development Update
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions

APMA News - October 2011