Minimise the impact of claims with good processes

Patient claims for injuries sustained during or as a result of treatment are not uncommon in the chiropractic industry. Working together with your insurance broker Aon, COCA brings you some practical tips on reducing the likelihood and impact of claims against you.

• Always maintain a clear, open thorough dialogue with your client and ensure that you are adequately assessing a patient prior to treatment

what you can achieve or what is being performed are often one of the biggest difficulties a chiropractor will face and potentially the source of a lot of problems in the chiropractic industry. Often the Informed Consent Form and a detailed discussion before the adjustment can often diffuse misinterpretations from the start regarding what service you provide and what treatment will be preformed.

• Make sure that your patients are reading, understanding and signing an Informed consent form.

Each time a new procedure is being performed, the Informed Consent Form will ensure that the patient is aware of all risk involved in each procedure they undertake and encourages them to ask questions about the procedure.

• Ensure you have accurate treatment notes and details of all instructions in one file.

Often this file is the only form of defence a chiropractor may have to refute a claim brought many years after treatment of a patient. It is amazing how crystal clear your patients’ memories become regarding your lack of performance when faced with a potential problem. Do you have the documentation to back up your version?

• Check that best practice is always maintained

Conduct regular internal staff reviews of work product as well as external peer reviews and training seminars such as COCA’s Risk Management Module III to ensure best practice is always maintained.

• Chiropractors should ensure that their practice premises are safe and tidy.

This will help to reduce the risk of public liability (trips and spill) claims. Things to look out for include, ensuring that any mats laid down are secure to ensure patients will not trip over them, walkways are left clear, cables for computers, telephone lines etc. are secure and not a potential hazard, any toys provided by the clinic are put away.

• Be prepared to refer the client.

If a patient is presenting symptoms that you believe alternate treatment would best suit or you feel that it is outside of your skills set, refer the client elsewhere. Aon understands that even the most diligent chiropractor can have claims made against them. Should you face a claim, Aon and COCA will offer the support and guidance that you will require to defend the claim.