Document everything. In the event that something goes south
during a case, you'll need to make a few phone calls immediately
— to the facility manager or risk representative, for starters. You'll also
want to go back and make sure the patient's chart is in order. You can't
make changes to the chart, but if you were too busy caring for the
5
Medical Malpractice
MM
2 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
The average physician involved
in a malpractice claim spends
50.7 months — almost 11% of
an assumed 40-year career —
with an unresolved claim,
according to a Health Affairs
study of malpractice claims
data for more than 40,900
physicians. The length of time of
an outstanding malpractice
case causes tremendous anxi-
ety for the physician named in
the suit, the study says.
Early disclosure and apolo-
gies from physicians may make
patients less likely to pursue
litigation, says Darrell Ranum,
JD, CPHRM, vice president of
patient safety for The Doctors
Company, a physician-owned
malpractice insurer based in
Napa, Calif.
"Even if it reflects poorly on
the physician, hospitals are now
working with risk managers to
help physicians share that kind
of information in a delicate
way," says Mr. Ranum. This
includes being open with the
patient about what happened,
including if mistakes were
made. "We think because physi-
cians are having those conver-
sations, some patients don't see
the need to find a lawyer to get
an answer for them," he says.
— Bill Donahue
ANOTHER MALPRACTICE CASUALTY: YOUR TIME
• STEALING TIME The average physician involved in a
malpractice claim spends more than 4 years with an unre-
solved claim.
The Wheels of
Justice Turn Slowly
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
