Patient education, proper documentation key to mitigating risk of endophthalmitis claims
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
WAILEA, Hawaii — Ophthalmologists should engage patients in an informed consent process that offers education, communication and documentation to mitigate the risk of endophthalmitis claims, according to a speaker here.
“When the patient is at risk of a specific disease, we want to have a specific consent,” Mark A. Rolain, MD, said at Hawaiian Eye/Retina 2024. “Specific informed consents are so wonderful to have on the chart.”
Ophthalmologists need to be vigilant when responding to and monitoring postoperative complaints. Communicating postoperative instructions to patients and incorporating strategies to confirm patients understand the instructions are essential, Rolain said, noting that documenting all patient interactions — particularly rationale for medical decision-making — should be a priority.
In addition, analyzing trends can help improve systemic issues at the practice level and yield more positive outcomes. Physicians should not call their carrier for advice or alter medical records.
When documenting postoperative complaints, give patients a follow-up plan and instruct them on what to look out for. Although telemedicine can be useful in some cases, it should not be used as a substitute for an in-person exam if a patient’s photo or video is not clear enough for evaluation, Rolain said.
“This is a process of communication between us and the patient that results in the patients authorizing us to perform a particular procedure. So, it is negligence if we fail to disclose the information the patient needs in order to make an informed, voluntary decision,” he said. “It is battery if there is no consent or treatment is substantially different from what was agreed upon. I can’t tell you how many times I have reviewed cases, and we only had that hospital consent form, which is a generic consent form. ... We really want that procedure-specific consent form.”
Collapse
Rolain MA. Mitigating the risk of endophthalmitis claims. Presented at: Hawaiian Eye 2024; Jan. 13-19, 2024; Wailea, Hawaii.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts