Twitter Chat: Risk Management: Avoiding Legal Pitfalls for You & Your Lab

Identifying risks and ensuring compliance is not only important for patient care, but also an important foundation for the legal health of your laboratory. What are some of the ways to stay ahead of potential legal challenges?

On Tuesday, July 20 at 9pm EST, Digital Content Committee Chair Michael Misialek, MD, FCAP, will take over the CAP Twitter handle (@Pathologists) to host a discussion on this topic about what pathologists and laboratories need to know about risk assessment and legal issues. Expert guest panelists include Timothy Allen, MD, JD, FCAP (@TimAllenMDJD) and attorney Elizabeth L.B. Greene (@Eliz_LB_Greene).

• Host: Michael J. Misialek, MD, FCAP, Chair, Digital Content Committee (DCC), tweeting from CAP Twitter handle (@Pathologists)
• Expert guest panelist: Timothy Allen, MD, JD (@TimAllenMDJD) and Elizabeth Green (@Eliz_LB_Greene)

Q1. Where in the “diagnostic wheel” does pathology sit, in regard to risk assessment?

Q2. What/where are the most common categories of errors—preanalytic, analytic, postanalytic?

Q3. Specific to pathologists, what are the top specimens at risk for claims?

Q4. What about communication breakdown and/or breach in the standard of care—what is important for pathologists to know about risks associated with these issues?

Q5. What advice can you share about ways to minimize exposure when talking with clinicians and patients?

Q6. What are some key ways to mitigate errors?

Q7. What advice do you have for a pathologist who is named in a claim? What are some ways to best cope during this challenging time?

Note: This Twitter chat will be following a Q&A format. The host, tweeting from @Pathologists, will ask questions or post discussion topics (beginning with Q1, Q2, etc.); the leaders will post answers starting with “A” and the corresponding question number (A1, A2, etc.). Ask your question or comment on one of the discussion questions/answers by referencing the specific discussion question beginning your tweet with “QX”, with X referring to the question number.

1. Follow along on the #capchat hashtag. Invite your followers to join the chat.
2. Introduce yourself, where you are from, and any relevant professional details to the group.
3. Respond to the Q’s using A1, A2, A3, etc.

Tip: Mute or block any bots taking over your feed. Ask questions and share your best tips and tricks with the group.

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