Medical Malpractice Insurance News

As use of telehealth continues to grow, physicians are advised to consider key factors when determining whether a virtual visit is the best option for a patient.

To minimize risk of liability exposure from a diagnostic error, healthcare providers should be cognizant of the contributing factors leading to claims.

The teach-back method can help physicians ensure that patients have a clear understanding of post-visit instructions.

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.

In this special issue of Dateline, we review physicians’ medical, ethical and legal obligations to honor individual patient preferences at the end of life.

Medscape data offers some perspective related to medical liability and malpractice litigation.

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.

Ineffective communication and transfer of patient information has been associated with medical errors, patient harm and patient dissatisfaction.