I ran across an article in Medpage Today which provides a list of ways doctors can avoid being sued….and here they are:
Way number 1 … Don’t do malpractice.
Way number 2 … Care deeply about your patients; and let them know by your actions that you really do care.
Way number 3 … Communicate diligently with your patients so you and they are on the same page and understand together what is going on. Share with them the benefits, costs, and risks of the various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that you wish to use, and decide together to go forward.
Way number 4 …. If a medical mistake or error does happen and the patient is harmed, tell the patient and apologize. Along with your institution, offer a settlement for damages and tell the patient that you and the organization have learned from the error and have instituted corrective actions to prevent it from happening again.
Way number 5 … Recognize that the majority of actual errors that harm patients never come to lawsuit.
Way number 6 … Recognize that the majority of unhappy patient encounters with or without harm that do come to lawsuit are without actual merit.
Way number 7 … Recognize that the majority of lawsuits threatened are withdrawn or settled, often unrelated to merit.
Way number 8 … Work to achieve a system of binding arbitration in your state.
My Take: Way number one is the best option for everyone. I am amazed at Way number 8….medical professionals still want to take away your right to hold them accountable for acts of medical negligence.