Just finished lunch and was talking with a group of colleagues on examples of lawsuits that have occurred in the hospital. I tend to not practice overly defensive medicine but I was thinking in your specialty what are the usual causes of malpractice lawsuits and what could be done to avoid them. I'm an internist and would say there are a couple in my field:
1. Delaying a diagnosis - example would be someone coming in with fever, neck pain, headache all signs of meningitis and no treatment or diagnostic procedure ( LP ) is done in the first 24 hrs.
2. Delay in treatment - Example would be someone coming in with symptoms suggestive of meningitis and LP was done which was consistent with meningtis and no abx were initiated. maybe this would categorized as negligence instead?
3. Not calling a consultant in a timely manner - example would be someone with abdominal pain, US RUQ showing cholecystitis and sx not called for 24 hrs.
I was always told the best way to avoid a lawsuit is to obviously practice good medicine but also to have a great patient doctor relationship. If the family likes you they are much less likely to file a lawsuit. Also to document the ************************ out of everything.
What are your thoughts?
1. Delaying a diagnosis - example would be someone coming in with fever, neck pain, headache all signs of meningitis and no treatment or diagnostic procedure ( LP ) is done in the first 24 hrs.
2. Delay in treatment - Example would be someone coming in with symptoms suggestive of meningitis and LP was done which was consistent with meningtis and no abx were initiated. maybe this would categorized as negligence instead?
3. Not calling a consultant in a timely manner - example would be someone with abdominal pain, US RUQ showing cholecystitis and sx not called for 24 hrs.
I was always told the best way to avoid a lawsuit is to obviously practice good medicine but also to have a great patient doctor relationship. If the family likes you they are much less likely to file a lawsuit. Also to document the ************************ out of everything.
What are your thoughts?
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