COPIC Newsletters

COPIC Tips

COPIC Tips offers physicians, health care professionals, and medical facilities valuable insight on relevant health care topics. Concise and informative, these "tips" are based on COPIC's 25+ years of experience in providing unparalleled protection and guidance to the health care community. 

These items are published quarterly in the Nebraska Medical Association's e-newsletter. Click on the article title below to view the COPIC Tip:

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• 2022 Archive

  Documentation of Patient Communication

  Considerations and best practices for ensuring your documentation is an accurate reflection of patient interactions.

  Making Urgent Care Safer for Patients: Part 2

  Factors behind increases in urgent care claims: In part two of our series for making urgent care safer for patients, we examine the factors that drive claims in this setting, and examine the most common conditions that lead to allegations of failure to diagnose. 

  Disclosing PHI for Law Enforcement Purposes

  Before disclosing patient information to law enforcement, a provider should consider whether it is protected under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules. The default position under HIPAA is that protected health information (PHI) cannot be disclosed without the patient’s authorization, but there are some exceptions relevant to law enforcement.

  Making Urgent Care Safer for Patients: Part 1

  Failure to diagnose remains a major risk in urgent care settings. In this two-part series, we examine a case study from an urgent care visit, highlight areas of concern, and discuss the importance of provider training.

  Legal and Regulatory Issues in Telemedicine

  Providing health care services through telemedicine is regulated by a myriad of evolving federal and state laws. But as this type of practice becomes increasingly accessible, there are legal and regulatory issues that should be considered prior to offering telemedicine services. Learn about three primary areas to consider, including licensure, prescribing authority, and privacy and security.

  Crisis Communications: Preparing for the Unknown

  On occasion, physicians and other health care providers may be targets of patient complaints, medical liability allegations, or other negative incidents. These situations can be frustrating, but there are steps to take that can help mitigate the issue and prevent it from spiraling into a crisis situation.

  Dos and Don'ts of Charting

  Real-life charting examples from Practice Quality reviews.

  In-Office Procedures

  Level One Guidelines in focus: In-Office Procedures

• 2020 Archive

  What's Wrong with This EHR Screen? Unforeseen Consequences with Templated Clinical Encounters

  Telehealth Guidance During the COVID-19 Crisis

  What's Wrong With This Notice? Scams Targeting Physicians

  Dealing With Potentially Dangerous Patients

  5 Cybersecurity Threats to Focus On

  What's Wrong With This Picture? Supervising Forms

  Patient Requests Regarding Emotional Support Animals

• 2019 Archive

  What's Wrong With This Letter

  Attorney Requesting Records

  What's Wrong with this Picture

  Urgent Care Part 1

  What's Wrong with this ER Patient Board

  What's Wrong with this EHR Note

  Urgent Care Part 2

• 2018 Archive

  Navigating the Risks of Curbside Consults

  Mistakes Physicians Make that Hurt Their Defense

  Provider and Patient Perceptions of Communication-and-Resolution Programs

  Physician Review Sites

  What's Wrong with This Report?

  Best Practices: Working with Allied Health Professionals

  Specialty Focus: Medication Errors

  Nonspine Orthopedic Procedures in Anesthesia Claims

  The Dangers of "Copy and Paste" in EHRs

  Specialty Focus: Orthopedic Surgery

  Tips for Improving the Physician and Patient Relationship

  Risk Management 101: Systems and Processes​

• 2017 Archive

  Protecting Yourself as You Retire or Reduce Your Practice

  Specialty Focus: General Surgery

  Documentation Do's and Don'ts

  Specialty Focus: Radiology

  Medicolegal Risks in Laparoscopic Surgery

  Liability Concerns in Patient Handoffs