Physician Performance Improvement
Strategies to Minimize Risk
NORCAL has developed three Physician Performance Improvement Modules to help you identify risk management methods, systems or actions to incorporate into your day-to-day practice operations.
Who Should Take These Modules
Physicians of any medical specialty who practice in small group or solo practices.Learning Objectives
Participation in a Physician Performance Improvement Module will help you:- Assess your risks pertaining to medical record documentation
- Develop a manageable action plan to reduce risk in the area of medical record documentation
- Evaluate how well the action plan improved your approach to medical record documentation
Accreditation Statement
NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation Statement
NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Module I: Medical Record Documentation
Issues pertaining to medical record documentation comprise a large portion of physician telephone inquiries to NORCAL Risk Management Specialists, and arise frequently in physician practice assessments.
Original Release Date: July 2007
Expiration Date: July 2010
Module II: Follow Up
Physicians have a duty to follow up with their patients and other healthcare providers to coordinate and maintain medically indicated care.
A follow-up system can help a practice manage clinical information, medical records and paperwork to ensure that all information is available to the physician when he or she makes clinical decisions. Conversely, lack of a follow-up system has consequences for patient health and physician liability exposures.
Original Release Date: January 2008
Expiration Date: January 2011
Module III: Drug-Seeking Patients: Managing the Risk
The risk of patient misuse or abuse of opioid analgesics is a major concern among physicians. For example, an emergency room treating 75,000 patients per year has as many as 262 visits from drug-seeking patients. Drug seekers might demand specific medications, claim that no other medications work (or that they are allergic to other medications), or might seem otherwise preoccupied with obtaining opioids during the emergency room visit.1
1Hansen GR. The drug-seeking patient in the emergency room. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2005 May;23(2):349-65.
Original Release Date: January 2008
Expiration Date: January 2011
How to Take a Performance Improvement Course
NORCAL policyholders must register for this activity prior to logging in to participate. To register for any of the modules, please call the Risk Management Department at (800) 652-1051, ext. 2244 or email your name, policy number and contact information to rjackson@norcalmutual.com.
If you have already registered, the Physician Performance Improvement Modules are available through the secure My NORCAL Log-In section of the NORCAL website. You can log into your account in the box on the upper right-hand corner of this page. If you have not already created a My NORCAL Log-In account, please contact NORCAL Policyholder Services at (877) 443-7232 and a representative will assist you.
Mac users will need to contact the Risk Management Department at (800) 652-1051, ext. 2244 or email your name, policy number and contact information to rjackson@norcalmutual.com, to obtain a “Mac User” account set-up.
