January 2024 
The Annual Baseline Self-Assessment

The survey is rolled out to the practice in a cyclical fashion:

1. Schedule self-assessments for each team member.
2. Assess liability risk management knowledge.
3. Evaluate all responses to identify gaps.
4. Provide results, feedback, and educational resources to the healthcare team.

The practice will provide one point of contact, usually the practice manager, to help facilitate the process. After setup, the contact will get a link to distribute that leads to the survey.

The assessment typically starts on a Monday and runs for two weeks. After that, the compiled data will go to a Risk Management consultant for review. The consultant will then prepare a report and compile any resources needed to address knowledge gaps. Practices can expect the report within 30 days of survey completion. The cycle repeats annually to align with policy renewal.

The ABSA is available now for any practices that would like to get started.

You can request the ABSA on behalf of your clients here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ABSAAgentPartner

ProAssurance insureds can request the ABSA here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRAInsuredABSARequest

There is no need to sign in at ProAssurance.com to request the survey or see your results. All participating practices will receive a custom link to their survey, and a Risk Management consultant will work directly with the practice to share the results.

We will be doing a promotional campaign for the ABSA in March when the 2024 Loss Prevention Seminar is released. This campaign will outline the ABSA program and explain the premium credit opportunities available to your clients in 2024. We will share more with you as that campaign rolls out.

The immediate objective with the ABSA is to find and address current gaps within the individual practice, and there will be benchmarking benefits over time. The aggregate data will allow insureds to compare their practice to others based on specialty, location, group size, and more. The annual nature of the program will allow them to see progress over time.

Beginning in 2024 ProAssurance insureds will have two main vehicles for potential risk management premium credit:

• The annual Loss Prevention Seminar (LPS): A two-hour CME-based educational program; or participation in supplemental online courses (30 minutes to 1 hour each, depending on the course)
• The ABSA: A survey completed in 15 minutes or less per participant

Practices are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the ABSA even if they prefer to continue participating in the LPS program in 2024. Participation in the LPS or ABSA may qualify ProAssurance physicians for up to 5% premium credit with full participation. Premium credits are subject to approval by the state insurance department and are applied at policy renewal.

ABSA

The Annual Baseline Self-Assessment is an online survey taken by a medical practice. The results are benchmarked, and the practice receives a customized report showing areas where they may be excelling and where there may be opportunities for improvement. Every person in a medical practice plays an integral role in healthcare delivery and each is included in the process by answering online survey questions. The questions are quick and easy to answer and focus on the primary drivers of medical malpractice risk. Participants’ responses are anonymous, and results are aggregated to provide a comprehensive picture of the practice. From physicians to nonphysicians, clinical and administrative staff, everyone has a role in identifying risk and improving patient safety. The assessment offers unparalleled opportunities for practices to see how they compare to their peers and similar practices.

LPS

The Loss Prevention Seminar is the ProAssurance Risk Management team’s annual program to offer insureds opportunities for CME and premium discounts. The theme for LPS changes every year. The 2024 program will focus on opioid prescribing and management. Over 20 states name opioids/narcotics/pain management as a required CME topic for medical license renewal. This program can be used to satisfy that requirement.

ABSA

The survey takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes for each individual to complete.

Risk Management Analytics and Data Quality Director Aaron Hamming says the ideal is to have every employee in the practice complete the survey and share their input. The goal is to have 80% or more of the people associated with the practice complete the survey. This has been the key to unlocking the best insights and actionable results.

LPS

The seminar takes about two hours to watch and is followed by a posttest that an individual must successfully complete to receive CME credit.

The Loss Prevention Seminar is typically broken up into categories, with a subject matter expert speaking between 15 and 20 minutes on their topic. Progress is saved as each section is completed so physicians do not have to watch the full program in one sitting.

ABSA

The ABSA is available now.

Request the ABSA on behalf of your clients here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ABSAAgentPartner

ProAssurance insureds can request the ABSA here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRAInsuredABSARequest

Participating practices will receive a custom link to participate in the survey and will receive a report of their results from a Risk Management consultant.

LPS

The 2024 LPS program will launch in March.

Once available, insureds can sign in at ProAssurance.com and select “Physician Online Seminars” from the “Seminars” menu to gain access to the program.

ABSA

No. This program is not eligible for CME.

LPS

Yes. Physicians may earn up to two hours of CME commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Yes. Participation in either program may qualify physicians for up to 5% premium credit for participation in the activity as described. NORCAL insureds may also continue to earn the risk management premium credit by participating in CME activities.

However, insureds with policies on E&S, OBRA, most Certitude programs, and Wisconsin physicians who are not eligible for the Wisconsin Medical Society Member Benefit Program are not eligible to receive premium credit from these activities due to current rate structures.

The risk management premium credit may only be applied once, regardless of participation in ABSA, LPS, or CME programs.

The practice has a complete tracking system for diagnostic procedures that encompasses centralized communication and documentation of physician orders, streamlined scheduling, efficient test performance, prompt results, physician notification, and patient communication.

Resource: Tracking systems do not have to be complex or expensive. In the absence of an electronic tracking system, use logbooks and card files.

Sample log: https://www.proassurance.com/link/84706b71b73c4b86814fdd9ba3c2bfd9.aspx

The practice provides clear and timely communication to empower patients with information, promote adherence to treatment plans, and strengthen the patient-provider relationship, contributing to a more effective and patient-centered healthcare experience.

Resource: Consider using a communication skills checklist to enhance patient encounters.

The provider maintains a well-documented medical record that reflects all clinically relevant aspects of the patient’s health, including a clear, timely, and accurate record of all patient and provider communications to ensure a comprehensive patient record.

Providers obtain patient agreement for medical procedures, fostering transparency in healthcare decision-making. Patients receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments to make well-considered decisions about care.

Infection prevention emphasizes protocols to minimize the risk of healthcare-associated infections, promoting a safe clinical environment.

Resource: https://youtu.be/iqXAb51lOJQ

Emergency preparedness addresses strategies for swift response and management of unexpected medical and critical situations such as natural disasters, fires, and security threats.

Resources:

https://youtu.be/PJiMglb19xg

https://youtu.be/uhfiyLe2kCA

https://www.proassurance.com/risk-management/physicians-and-physician-groups/disaster-mitigation-faq/

https://riskmanagement.proassurance.com/rm-guidelines#plan

Practice staff receives ongoing education to enhance skills and awareness of safety protocols, as a strong protection against a medical professional liability claim and to contribute to the success of a practice.

Content Examples:

“Multiple External Non-Medical Factors Complicate Claim of Inadequate Staffing” (Vital Signs)

Closed Claim Case Allegation: The lawsuit alleged the insured facility failed to provide adequate staffing, care plans, and fall prevention measures for the resident who was at a high risk for falls; an alleged medication error could also have led to a fall.

“Employee Awareness Is Critical in Defending Against Ransomware Attacks” (Practice Resource Library)

In the digital practice—where sensitive business and patient information is stored electronically—ransomware is one of the most devastating forms of malware. It works by encrypting or blocking access to sensitive files and demanding payment to restore access. If the attack is successful, it is nearly impossible to recover the data without paying the ransom, and even paying it does not guarantee restoration of access. The loss to a healthcare practice—and its patients if medical records access is blocked—could be devastating.

“Ineffective Staff Training and Procedures Alleged in Allergy-Related Death of Child” (Practice Resource Library)

Educating staff members about emergency policies and evaluating emergency clinical skills are critical components in helping reduce the risk of malpractice claims.

The practice evaluates and optimizes the delivery of healthcare offerings.

Content Examples:

“Clinical Use of mHealth Lags Consumer Adoption” (Practice Resource Library)

A 2023 survey found that more than a third of U.S. adults—40%—use health apps to achieve fitness goals and track their health, an increase of 6% since 2018, while 35% use wearables, an increase of 8% since 2018. On the clinical side, roughly a third of physicians, residents, and medical students believe data from consumer health apps and wearables—aka, mHealth—can be very beneficial to patients, but they also feel largely unprepared to use such tools in practice.

“Understanding the Risks Associated with Medical Directorships” (Practice Resource Library)

A medical directorship may seem like a reasonable way to bring in extra income without investing a lot of time and effort. However, depending on the arrangements, a medical director’s duties can be extensive and the liability issues not always obvious. Therefore, it is important to understand the legal, regulatory, and professional liability coverage issues prior to accepting a medical director position.

“Helping Non-compliant Patients Overcome Barriers to Adherence” (Practice Resource Library)

Non-compliant patients are among the stressors that can result in physician burnout. The cause of noncompliance varies from patient to patient and often depends on the complexity of their situation and their ability to comply.

The practice emphasizes fostering a workplace environment prioritizing patient and staff well-being.

Content Examples:

“Manage Challenging Patients to Reduce Physician Burnout” (Practice Resource Library)

Alone or in combination, various patient, physician, and healthcare environment issues can contribute to patients being perceived as difficult. Physician burnout can increase the incidence of challenging patient encounters, as well as result from these encounters. Reducing physician burnout stressors and the factors contributing to these perceived difficult encounters could help mitigate both.

“Preventing Surgical Never Events - Case Studies and Best Practices” (Practice Resource Library)

The term never event was coined in 2001 to describe medical errors that should never happen. The National Quality Forum (NQF) now lists 29 types of never events (also referred to as “serious reportable events” by NQF and “sentinel events” by The Joint Commission). The case studies address examples of surgical adverse incidents that would be considered never events: retained surgical items, surgical fires, and wrong-site surgery.

“Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain: Case Studies and Best Practices” (Practice Resource Library)

More than 68,000 Americans died of opioid-involved overdoses in 2020—a 37.6% increase over 2019, and the largest yearly increase in opioid-involved overdose deaths in two decades. A total of 16,416 (23.9%) of those deaths involved prescription opioids. Approximately 21% to 29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them, and between 8% and 12% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain will develop an opioid use disorder (OUD). It is no surprise, then, that overdose death involving opioids is referred to as “a public health emergency” and an epidemic.