Currently, malpractice lawsuits are less and less based solely on medical treatment. Instead, they’re becoming based off how a patient feels, or how they’re mistreated, by a physician or healthcare provider. To help your practice avoid medical malpractice litigation, follow our five steps below.
Establish Healthy Patient Relationships
Every patient is expected to get the same amount of respect and professionalism from you, as a doctor. Being a medical professional, it’s important to follow through with their expectations and treat everyone that steps through your doors with respect and kindness.
Additionally, it’s also your job to help your patients feel comfortable in your care. Showing empathy towards your patients can show you generally care about their individual needs, helping their treatments go more smoothly.
Be Understandable
Besides being compassionate, it’s also important to your patients that you can communicate clearly with them, especially when describing technical medical terminology. Understand more common terms are easier for your patients to decipher and understand.
Maintain Accurate Documentation
While filling in and maintaining all records and other documentation is crucial for your practice, it can also be crucial in a malpractice suit. In case you ever find yourself in a lawsuit, you will need to have the correct documentation to back up your argument. In cases where there is no documentation or there is poorly maintained documentation, juries typically side with the patient. This is why it is so crucial that you update charts and records after every appointment.
Obtain Informed Consent
You will need to obtain your patients’ informed consent prior to talking about their health and the treatment you will provide. You must discuss the advantages and risks of your treatment care plan. Also, you should provide your patient with the opportunity to ask about alternatives. You can get informed consent by asking the patient to sign an agreement with their enrollment paperwork.
Follow the Policies
All hospitals or health care institutions set their policies for a reason. You need to follow these procedures in order to provide the best care you can for every one of your patients. Even the smallest of policy infractions can affect patient happiness and a potential malpractice lawsuit.
By listening to these five tips, you can avoid a malpractice lawsuit at your healthcare institution. Make sure you treat your patients with respect, communicate, keep your paperwork updated, get informed consent, and follow all your institution’s policies.
