Page 12 - Hospitalists - Risks When You're the Doctor in the House (Part One)

SVMIC Hospitalists - Risks When You’re the Doctor in the House

The good news is most malpractice suits are avoidable and are

generally not a result of a hospitalist’s medical decision-making
or expertise. Other factors, such as ineffective or nonexistent

systems or communication failures, lead to patient harm and
subsequent malpractice claims. Often, these failures lead to

fragmented care, which is counter to the hospitalist model.
An inadequate understanding of the nature and scope of the

hospitalist’s duty under the given circumstances can also lead
to claims. Taking time to review and master the basics such as

effective communication practices, sharing findings with other
healthcare professionals, and explaining follow-up instructions

clearly to the patient, as well as reviewing test results, medical
records, and transitions of care processes, will provide a safety

net to avoid litigation.

In this course, we will be examining a number of
actual malpractice cases, with an emphasis on

the takeaway risk management lessons. We’ll
also be using compiled claims data and analysis

reports provided by the Medical Professional
Liability Association (MPLA, formerly the Physician Insurers

Association of America, or PIAA), a consortium of over 50
physician- and dentist-owned malpractice insurers, including

SVMIC. The MPLA collects claims data from its constituent
companies and regularly reviews them to identify “hot spots” of

recent or ongoing claims activities. These hot spots are then
targeted for special reports that analyze the underlying

allegations of lawsuits in order to assist risk managers and other
educators to provide strategies for physicians focused on areas

of vulnerability.

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