Have you ever feared being sued for malpractice? Are you afraid that your patients will one day punish you for a small error? No matter what the answers to these questions are, every care provider needs to be aware of how to minimize the possibility of medical liability.
First, it is vital to know what is the usual cause that patients take care providers to the court. The experience of lawyers shows that patients or their relatives rarely want the money being repaid (Bendix, 2019). Instead, injured patients or their relatives want to know what went wrong and who was responsible for that (Bendix, 2019). Therefore, there are numerous ways a care provider can reduce the chances of medical liability lawsuits.
First, doctors and nurses should strive to open and trusting relationships with patients. During the trials, patients often complain that the medical personnel failed to spend enough time with patients and listen to their concerns (Bendix, 2019). Moreover, trusting relationships may help the patients disclose sensitive information, such as sexual contacts and drug use, which is vital for diagnosis. The atmosphere of trust should be supported by effective communication between patients and care providers.
Second, it is crucial for care providers to document the visits as soon as possible, to be able o recreate the visit and use it for diagnosis. If the diagnosis or a procedure is questioned at some point in the future, careful documentation is the key to providing a rationale for one’s actions.
Third, care providers should strictly follow protocols and guidelines when examining the patients.
Finally, it is always a good idea to consider outside help. If all standard measures fail, care providers should be afraid to ask for assistance or refer the patient to see another doctor.
Adherence to these four simple rules can help all the hospital staff to reduce malpractice claims.
Reference
Bendix, J. (2019). How to avoid malpractice suits. Medical Economics. Web.