According to a recent Medscape 2019 malpractice report, more than half of physicians will be named in a lawsuit at some point during their career, regardless of whether an error was made. The report found that specialists (62%) are sued more often than primary care physicians (52%). Surgeons — both general and specialized — were the specialists most likely to be sued (85%), with urology following close behind (84%), and then otolaryngology (83%).
Physicians who had been sued reported that they were sued for failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis (33%), followed by complications from treatment or surgery (29%), and poor outcome or disease progression (26%). Lawsuits take up substantial time, with 42% of physicians spending more than 40 hours on their defense and 40% of lawsuits taking between one and two years to resolve.
Notably, 58% of physicians who had been sued thought the outcomes were fair, although 56% of the total surveyed physicians were dissatisfied with medical organizations’ or state societies’ work to reduce malpractice suits.
Do you suffer from medical malpractice stress syndrome? Find out in Dermatology World.
2020 will be replete with innumerable references focusing on vision. As I composed this holiday greeting, I had the privilege of touring Norway above the Arctic Circle, perplexed and awestruck by the Northern Lights. Vision may be hindsight, current, or foresight. I appreciated why ancient Norse mythology attributed the strange flickering lights of the northern skies to the armor of Valkyrior, and why other cultures developed their own theories. Millenia transpired before understanding that charged particles in the magnetosphere caused by solar winds are responsible for this atmospheric display.
Yet do we really understand the astrophysics of this phenomenon? (I barely understand why the rods and cones of my retina see the aurora borealis as a milky white, but the camera sees a brilliant green.) Unquestionably, generations from now, our current comprehension of the Northern (or Southern) lights will seem rudimentary (if not disproven) by future astrophysicists. Keep reading!
New DW Academy Insider coming in 2020
Don’t worry — there will still be a button at the top of the email for you to take the AAD Question of the Week. But other elements of the newsletter have been revamped to ensure that members receive the most important Academy news each week. Instead of a series of buttons leading to webpages, the email itself will include more of the relevant information — similar to Dermatology World Weekly. All members who are currently subscribed to any version of DW Academy Insider will receive the same newsletter each Thursday.
Look for the new DW Academy Insider in your inbox Jan. 2, 2020. Not subscribed and want to receive Question of the Week and the latest Academy news? Visit https://account.aad.org/Communication.
Does teledermatology improve PCP-delivered care for disadvantaged patients?
According to a recently published study, teledermatology may effectively guide primary care providers (PCPs) in resource-limited settings by accelerating delivery of dermatologic care for uninsured patients.
An analysis of 131 teledermatology consults, using the Academy’s free AccessDerm program, revealed a 37-hour mean response versus a 14-day wait for an in-person appointment. Teledermatologists provided a care plan without in-person evaluation for 65% of completed consults and recommended interim treatments while awaiting appointments in 15 cases, thus accelerating care plan delivery in 76% of cases. According to the study authors, following teledermatologist recommendations would have changed the clinical course in 70% of cases, potentially avoiding suboptimal care, including inappropriate corticosteroids, antimicrobials, and emergency room referrals.
“Matching into dermatology seemed like the ultimate prize, and then completing residency and starting my first “real job” truly seemed like the pinnacle of my professional life. Newly graduated and armed with mostly useless board fodder, I thought practicing dermatology would be a walk in the park compared to all the challenges I had faced to get there. However, I quickly realized my education in the practice of medicine had just begun. Despite excellent training and thorough preparation, much of the didactic knowledge gained in residency is not useful in the day-to-day practice of medicine.” Read more from DW Young Physician Advisor Jenna O’Neill, MD.
Senate confirms Hahn to lead the FDA
Last week, senators voted 72-18 in support of Stephen Hahn, MD, to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hahn was chairman of the radiation oncology department at the University of Pennsylvania medical school for nine years until 2015, when he joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas and rose to chief medical executive last year.
Hahn was nominated to replace Scott Gottlieb, MD, who left the post in April. He received endorsements from dozens of patient and health care groups as well as five former FDA commissioners from democratic and republican administrations. Read more.
Virtual group election period open for MIPS 2020 performance period
The election period to form a virtual group for the 2020 MIPS performance year is now open. To form a virtual group, physicians must follow an election process between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2019. Get more information about the election process in CMS’s 2020 Virtual Groups Toolkit.
A virtual group is a combination of two or more taxpayer identification numbers (TINs) assigned to:
One or more solo practitioners (who are MIPS-eligible clinicians); or
One or more groups consisting of 10 or fewer clinicians (including at least 1 MIPS-eligible clinician); or
Both (solo practitioners and groups of 10 or fewer clinicians) that elect to form a virtual group for a performance period for a year
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