Health Care Professionals Group

Discuss some measures health care professionals can take to prevent malpractice claims?

Discuss some measures health care professionals can take to prevent malpractice claims. Can the threat of a malpractice claim actually affect how a health care professional practices? Why or why not?

Public Comments

1. With most docs it does affect how they practice medicine. Case in point ...a 20 something year old girl came into his office right at closing time and was complaining of a urinary tract infection. He did a urine test and gave her the medicine of choice for the problem at that time. He asked her was she pregnant and she said no. Normally, he would do a pregnancy test but this time he had to get to the hospital for a seriously ill patient so he didn't do it. 9 months later he was sued because her child had a birth defect. She won even though he had forensic experts to testify that this medicine could in no way cause the birth problems the child had. His insurance company upped his premium to astronomical rates and he could not afford them so now he is no longer practicing medicine.This all happened to a doctor that had never had a complaint or action against him Another doctor I know was an orthopedist. He would walk into a patients room announcing in a loud clear voice that if he could save this limb (leg or arm or finger what ever) it would be a miracle and possibly it would be shorter than the one on the other side. At first I would just look at him until he explained that if he told the patient this was the likely outcome and then it turned out not to happen they thought he was great. He also had a sign in his office that said.."If you have a problem with your care talk to me not your lawyer. He had nothing to do with it" He was the only doctor of his specialty that was never sued.
2. Yes it affects the way myself as well as my colleagues practice. There have been numerous of times when I do an expensive test even though I know the result will be negative, just in the 1% chance that it comes back positive. I think the best case is falling and hitting your head...do I need to get a CT scan of the head. Most trauma to the head do not require head CT. However, say I DON'T get a head CT, and it turns out to be a bleed in the brain...then I'm liable. Let's say I get a head CT and it's negative, and sent the patient home, but he has a delayed bleed later on. Then even if I'm sued, I can say "I did the best test I could...a head CT...and it was negative". Meanwhile these "unnecessary" costs are adding up making it more expensive for Americans to have insurance or medical care. I say first get tort reform, and less physicians will be practicing "scared medicine"