Medical Malpractice Insurance News

A new BCBS study found that millennials are experiencing higher rates of chronic health issues than previous generations. Projections indicate that this may increase both mortality rates and healthcare costs.

A new study shows that as the day progresses, physicians are more likely to defer discussion of cancer screening, and these findings indicate that “this could potentially result in suboptimal care.”

After gathering data from 10,000 patients researchers found that 48.6% of patients experienced a problem, and over 30% of those “did not always feel comfortable speaking up.” The study has implications for overall patient safety and satisfaction.

Researchers have found that study participants exposed to shared decision-making reported “higher trust, rated their physicians more highly and were less likely to fault their physicians for the adverse outcome compared with those exposed to no decision-making.”

Computers in patient exam rooms have become commonplace in healthcare, but they may be perceived by both physicians and patients as a barrier to effective communication.

MLMIC’s newest risk management CME module helps physicians navigate the doctor-patient relationship. The program addresses patient behaviors that can negatively affect care and offers steps that can be taken to enhance the patient experience.

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.

The use of cell phones by patients and families for the purpose of recording conversations with their healthcare providers is a topic of serious concern to many physicians.

In recognition of National Patient Safety Awareness Week, we encourage all our insureds to identify ways to improve patient safety and reduce risk.