Medical Malpractice Insurance News

MLMIC’s Winter 2017 Case Review includes a case study in which poor communication and failure to communicate contributed to a delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

A recent study showed a significant increase in patients’ proper use of pre-operative medications when they were provided with simple written instructions.

Did you know that non-clinical staff may impact patient safety and malpractice exposures? Ensuring that staff members have been properly trained regarding their roles and responsibilities should be an integral part of any organization’s risk management program.

Physicians and hospitals may be liable to the general public if a patient is not warned of medications that can impair the patient’s driving ability. A third party who is injured in an accident may now sue the physician or hospital directly if there has been a failure to warn the patient of the side effects.

It is likely that a physician’s risk of liability is increased when a patient chooses not to seek care primarily due to cost.

Lack of health literacy can make effective communication with patients a challenge. At stake may be inability to comply with treatment regimens, give informed consent and use medication properly.

Good relationships with patients are important not only to patient health but also, according to the article’s author, “Doctors sued most often were complained about by patients twice as much as those who were not, and poor communication was the most common complaint.”

In practically every region in this state, dentists provide care to patients who are culturally and linguistically diverse.