Risk Management in the OTP

Sunday, October 21, 2007
Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Catherine H. O’Neill, Esq.
Legal Action Center
New York, NY

Health care risk management programs emerged 30 years ago and were specifically developed as loss prevention techniques for the risks associated with accidental losses facing health care organizations. AATOD has concluded that opioid treatment programs can benefit from an effective risk management training program, in ways that are similar to the benefits that have accrued to other health care providers. Accreditation has encouraged individualized patient care and developed opportunities for programs to better organize their administrative structure, further supporting risk management.

This Pre-Conference session will introduce OTP managers and clinical personnel to the key elements of a risk management program and how they can be directly applied to OTPs. Attendees will also get the most current information available about leading legal risks to OTP operations in addition to a discussion of some critical court cases that have recently affected OTPs.

Topics to be covered include:

Risk management basics:

- What happens to the program when adverse events occur

- Scope of risk management

- Common risk identifiers

- Setting priorities

- Risk prevention and minimization

- Claims management

Emerging legal standards of care for OTPs:

- The role that accreditation, certification, regulatory and clinical practice guidelines play in setting standards of care for OTPs

- Recent negligence/malpractice lawsuits and related legal developments involving OTPs and their patients

Developing protective legal strategies to deal with common legal and liability risks, including

- Patient induction, dosing and monitoring issues

- Impaired driving concerns

- Assessing and addressing complex needs; patients with co-occurring disorders; continuing substance use; other complicating factors

-OTPs’ liability for patients’ actions

Sponsored by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc.

Supported by Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.