subject: Medical Malpractice: Three Myths That Cost Your Hospital Millions [print this page] Medical Malpractice: Three Myths That Cost Your Hospital Millions
What's the employment?
Nothing you are doing will hold down the cost of medical malpractice. It feels that manner typically, does not it?
Unfortunately, for several risk managers, that's not too so much off the mark. What they're doing is not working.
We have a tendency to can purpose to other industries, greedy lawyers, insurance corporations attempting to form up for losses in the stock market. But there is hassle at intervals medical practices too.
A study published within the Archives of Internal Medication showed that several of the actions risk managers take really backfire(1). They create a lot of risk and drive up costs.
The matter is not the danger managers. It's myths concerning medical malpractice that dominate the healthcare industry. Three myths in explicit are common and costly.
Myth 1: Medical negligence causes medical malpractice claims.
What could be more logical?
It's a conclusion based on logic and backed by knowledge from 2 giant studies applied by Harvard researchers over the past 20 years.
One percent of hospital visits end in medical negligence. And the injured one p.c are 20 times a lot of likely to assert medical malpractice than are the other ninety nine percent.
Therefore patients injured through error must drive malpractice claims, right? Wrong.
A recent report from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health(a pair of) revealed that four of 5 patients who file medical malpractice claims haven't been injured through negligence. And the great majority of patients who have suffered negligent injury don't sue.
Myth 2: Medical malpractice claims are random acts
If medical error does not drive malpractice claims, what does? Maybe claims are entirely unpredictable.
They're not though. Injured patients are 20 times more likely to sue than are patients who are not injured. And there are correlations that are way stronger that we tend to'll discuss during a minute.
Myth 3: Medical malpractice claims are filed by opportunistic patients
Undoubtedly some are. I've heard from risk managers, especially in economically depressed areas, who feel the pinch from patients who literally fall within the parking lot. Personal anecdotes like these though will be misleading.
In line with Beckman and colleagues in the Archives of Internal Medication(3), the truth is that the majority patients sue because of emotional errors. They feel deserted, feel their views were devaluated, feel that data was delivered poorly, and feel their physician didn't understand their perspective.
And this is often why the strategies pursued by several risk managers backfire. They have been led to believe that opportunistic patients exploit errors and negligence as an gap to sue. So they follow what appears to be the logical course of action.
They keep the physician from the patient and withhold information. Sometimes they even mislead patients. All of which fuels the patients' feeling of having been wronged.
So what will you are doing?
Equip your workers, particularly your physicians and risk managers, to treat patients with empathy and respect. Even if they threaten to sue. Particularly if they threaten to sue.
The Harvard College of Public Health will tell you that if your aim is to stop liability loss, you'll have additional success communicating well and showing patients you worth them than you will by reducing actual cases of malpractice
Of course, that is easier said than done. There are two reasons.
Initial, it's stressful being face-to-face with somebody who's upset. Most people intend to be open. But they're afraid it'd make matters worse.
Second, though most medical staff are compassionate, they don't apprehend how to express that empathy in a means an upset patient can see. Instead, they try to mend the matter or show the patient the proper method of thinking. Which does build matters worse.
My recommendation? Your best course of action is to induce out prior to the problem. Train your staff to spot patient feelings and wants, and negotiate solutions. So patients feel no would like to make claims in the primary place.
If that seems sort of a lot to bite off. Here are some suggestions to induce you started.
Train selected staff. Risk management, security services, and social work, work usually with upset patients. Specialise in workers in these areas to leverage a restricted training budget or to model the abilities for alternative employees.
Train selected departments. Some departments, obstetrics and neurology as an example, attract medical malpractice suits.
Within the case of medical malpractice, the most effective defense is not a good offense. It's smart collaboration. Your goal is to uncover your patients' desires and negotiate solutions that meet their wants furthermore the needs of your hospital. And do it in an exceedingly manner your patients will see.
