AOA Excel - Rhode Island

RIOA members take note!

5 Common Malpractice Claims Optometrists Face

Knowing the most common claims facing optometrists is the first step to reducing your risk of a stressful and costly malpractice lawsuit. AOAExcel asked their malpractice insurance partner, Lockton Affinity, to identify some of the most common types of claims optometrists encounter:

  1. Failure to Diagnose—The most common claim facing optometrists involves a failure to correctly diagnose a disease, including misdiagnosis and lack of diagnosis. Many other types of malpractice claims will begin from a failure to diagnose claim.
  2. Failure to Dilate the Pupil—A large percentage of claims describe a failure to dilate the pupil. Optometrists who choose not to dilate the pupil during an examination may be at increased risk of a lawsuit, because a lack of pupil dilation can increase the chance of missing pathology or making an incorrect diagnosis. On rare occasions, dilation itself may cause a liability claim related to slip-and-fall accidents that occur in the office or on the premises. The risk for these claims can be reduced by warning patients of dilation side effects and providing mydriatic sunglasses.
  3. Improper Patient Termination or Referral—Malpractice claims have been made when delayed treatment results in a poor outcome. It’s important to remember that an optometrist has a legal responsibility for a patient until treatment concludes or the patient is referred to another practitioner for care.
  4. Neglecting Informed Consent—Claims in which an injury results from care often focus on whether informed consent was obtained and documented as required. Like all healthcare professionals, optometrists must obtain informed consent before tests, procedures and treatments. Failing to document informed consent exposes you to malpractice claims.
  5. Poor Recordkeeping—A large number of claims involve allegations of poor recordkeeping. A lack of documentation can not only lead to missed diagnoses, incomplete referrals, missed follow-ups, and missing informed consent documentation, it can also hurt your case defending against these and other malpractice claims. Fortunately, most recordkeeping problems are entirely preventable with the proper procedures.

The right precautions can go a long way in minimizing your chance of a serious malpractice claim. AOAExcel partners with Lockton Affinity to provide AOA members with malpractice insurance designed for doctors of optometry—flexible, competitively priced coverage guaranteed to expand with your state’s scope of practice. Visit aoa.org/liabilityinsurance to receive an instant quote and a complimentary review of your current policy.


The AOA Business Card: Designed for ODs and Growing with Your Needs

Your business likely uses a credit card for expenses like equipment and supplies. But did you know there’s a card designed specifically for doctors of optometry? Consider switching to the AOA Business Card, the only credit card offered exclusively to AOA members. Brought to you by AOAExcel, the AOA Business Card offers numerous benefits custom-fit for you, and the list continues to grow—the latest features include:

  • Vendor Discounts—Save on frames, lab services, and more.
  • QuickBooks® Integration—Make bookkeeping a cinch with integrated QuickBooks.
  • Multiple Cards—Add cards for your colleagues and control spending permissions.
  • Autopayment—Pay your bill hassle-free.

The AOA Business Card still offers 2% back1, requires no personal guarantee or annual fee, and won’t affect personal credit. As a sign-on bonus, cardholders who spend $15,000 or more in the first 4 months after account creation will have their $972 AOA dues reimbursed2. Any business owned by an AOA member is eligible for the AOA Business Card, regardless of the business’s affiliation with optometry. Visit about.card.aoa.org/terms for full terms & conditions.

Conditions apply. Subject to approval. Mercantile Financial Technologies, Inc. is a financial technology company, not a bank. The AOA Credit Cards are issued by Hatch Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Review the cardholder agreement here.

1 - 2% rewards on all purchases, no cap on rewards. You will not earn rewards on returned, disputed, or fraudulent transactions. We will reverse rewards associated with the return, credit, or adjustment.

2 - The AOA dues of $972 are paid when you spend $15,000 or more in the first 4 months after account creation. Your Card account must not be canceled or in default at the time of fulfillment of any offers. After the 4 months, Rewards points will be credited to your account if you have met the threshold amount. If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome offer in any way or that you intend to do so, we may not credit Rewards points, we may freeze Rewards points credited, or we may take away Rewards points from your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us.

†- To participate in the Vendor Offers program you must have an eligible AOA Business credit card. Data connection required; wireless carrier fees may apply. See complete Terms and Conditions for more details.

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