It’s been a busy and exciting year for us here at eQuoteMD! As we come upon the holidays and the end of the year, we thought we’d review and remind you of some of the stories and articles we’ve published in 2014, and some of the themes that have been popular with our readers.
In the spring we did a five part series on defensive medicine and some of the various reform measures that have been proposed, and in some cases implemented, to limit it. Defensive medicine is a result of a litigious environment and in the end costs everyone involved. You can read those individual posts starting here, or you can download our white paper, A Guide to Defensive Medicine, which compiles all of the information into one document available at our Information Center.
Another subject that we’ve spent quite a bit of time on this year is the role and influence of technology in practicing medicine, and especially in the risk management aspect of practicing medicine.. We looked at:
- Electronic check in systems
- Patient portals
- HIPAA compliant text messaging
- Tools to improve online presence and visibility
- IT security
- The future of telemedicine, and even
- Social media (and here)
More than ever technology is making its way into every part of our lives and eQuoteMD wants to be part of the conversation that’s concerned with those places where technology and the practice of medicine intersect.
Of course we also spent some time on insurance products, and especially some that you may not have considered before. If you’re interested in specialty or enhanced risk management options we covered some of that ground, whether you want to insure yourself and your practice against cyber liability, or you want to supplement your standard malpractice policy with affordable disability coverage, or even if you just need a new business office policy as your practice grows, we’ve tried to give helpful information and we’d be happy to get you a quote.
A theme we explored this year that we’ll probably revisit in the future was the difference location makes when thinking about practicing medicine. Location can dramatically affect the cost of malpractice insurance, for instance. And as some areas begin to face physician shortages, particularly in the face of regulatory changes that are driving many independent physicians to hospitals or large groups, we also looked at some of the potential benefits of practicing in a more rural environment.
But in addition to thinking through the impact of location generally eQuoteMD has also sought to keep up with significant regional news, reporting on legislative malpractice issues in Wisconsin and Oregon, interviewing an expert on changes to malpractice law in Arizona, offering analysis of a recent $200M settlement in Pennsylvania, and noting new partnerships supporting doctors and healthcare workers in St. Louis and Kansas City. And of course there is California, where, after following the lead-up to and ultimate failure of Proposition 46, we continue to await the fate of non-economic damage caps in malpractice cases.
Finally, we’ve tried to offer some insight and education on legal and legislative issues. We did a summary piece on statutes of limitations and statutes of repose that we hope you found informative and helpful. We also offered some pushback to recent research that some say indicates malpractice reform measures are ineffective. And, of course, we offered some insight on the impact that the Affordable Care Act is likely to have on your malpractice needs.
Whew. That’s a lot. As I said, we’ve been busy. And we’re looking forward to another busy year, with lots more to report on, fresh insights to offer, and new questions to answer. Please let us know if there is something you’d like to see us research and report on or discuss. We value your feedback and want to serve you well.
Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from your friends at eQuoteMD!
