PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 11317581

Reducing physician vulnerability to professional liability claims: what practices make a difference?

D Meyers
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Physicians--both "good" and "bad"--may find themselves targeted in medical malpractice lawsuits for reasons not necessarily related to recognized acts of commission or omission. As a result, taking appropriate steps to reduce their vulnerability to claims that may eventually be brought against them makes good sense from a risk management perspective. This article looks at the frequency, severity, reasons for, and "misadventures" associated with one physician-owned medical malpractice company's professional liability claims and offers selected practice management strategies that can help enhance physicians' defensibility in the event they are sued.

Explore related subjects

Defensive MedicineDocumentationDrug PrescriptionsHumansInformed ConsentLiability, LegalMalpracticePractice Management, MedicalRisk ManagementTelephoneUnited StatesJournal Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

D Meyers. Reducing physician vulnerability to professional liability claims: what practices make a difference?. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11317581/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2006

Defensive medicine practices among gastroenterologists in Japan.

AIM: To clarify the prevalence of defensive medicine and the specific defensive medicine practices among gastroenterologists in Japan. METHODS: A survey of gastroenterologists in Hiroshima, Japan, was conducted by mail in March 2006. The number of gastroenterologists reporting defensive medicine behaviors or changes in their scope of practice and the reported defensive medicine practices, i.e., assurance and avoidance behaviors, were examined. RESULTS: A total of 131 (77%) out of 171 gastroenterologists completed the survey. Three (2%) respondents were sued, and most respondents (96%) had liability insurance. Nearly all respondents (98%) reported practicing defensive medicine. Avoidance behaviors, such as avoiding certain procedures or interventions and avoiding caring for high-risk patients, were very common (96%). Seventy-five percent of respondents reported often avoiding certain procedures or interventions. However, seasoned gastroenterologists (those in practice for more than 20 years) adopted avoidance behaviors significantly less often than those in practice for less than 10 years. Assurance behaviors, i.e., supplying additional services of marginal or no medical value, were also widespread (91%). Sixty-eight percent of respondents reported that they sometimes or often referred patients to other specialists unnecessarily. CONCLUSION: Defensive medicine may be highly prevalent among gastroenterologists throughout Japan, with potentially serious implications regarding costs, access, and both technical and interpersonal quality of care.

Defensive Medicine↗