chapter 9 : a primer on medical malpractice
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Chapter 9 : A Primer on Medical Malpractice. Malpractice – What is it?. Error - behavioral matter Misperception Mistake Omission Substitution Accident - unplanned event Malpractice - negligence. Negligence. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Chapter 9: A Primer on Medical Malpractice
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Malpractice – What is it?
• Error - behavioral matter• Misperception• Mistake• Omission• Substitution
• Accident - unplanned event
• Malpractice - negligence
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Negligence
• An act that a prudent person would not have done or the omission of a duty that a prudent person would have fulfilled, resulting in injury or harm to another person.
– A civil wrong and part of the law of torts.
– Founded on the relationship between the actor and the victim
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Requirements of an Act of Negligence
• Legally recognized relationship between the health care worker and patient
• Health care worker has a duty of care to the patient
• Health care worker breached the duty of care by failing to conform to the required standards of care
• The breach of duty was the direct cause of harm, resulting in the patient suffering damages as a result of the harm
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Malpractice
• Negligence that is the proximate cause of injury or harm to a patient resulting from
– A lack of professional knowledge, experience or skill that can be expected in others in the profession.
OR
– From failure to exercise reasonable care or judgment in the application of professional knowledge, experience or skill.
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Medical Malpractice
• The commission or omission of an action causing an injury is shown to arise from the exercise of professional medical judgment
• There must be:
– A Physician-Patient Relationship
– A Duty to Perform Professionally
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Sources of Professional Standards
• Government statutes and regulations
• Professional society standards
• Voluntary accrediting agency standards
• Administrative policies and rule of the facility
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Theories of Liability
• Informed consent
• Strict liability
• Vicarious liability
• Res ipsa loquitur
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Re ipsa loquitur
The thing speaks for itself
– Injury would not ordinarily occur in the absence of negligence
– Injury was caused by the actions was within the control of the defendant
– Injury is not due to any action on the part of the plaintiff
– Evidence surrounding the circumstances is mostly within the control of the defendant
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Hospital Liability for Malpractice
• Respondeat superior
• Ostensible agency
• Staff Privileges
– Corporate Negligence
– Contributory Negligence
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Other Liability Theories
• Intentional tort
• Assault and battery
• Libel
• Slander
• Invasion of Privacy
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Types of Damages
• Compensatory damage
• Awards for pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
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Statute of Limitations
• The maximum period of time after the patient’s injury during which a lawsuit may be commenced.
• Most state have a statutory period between one and three years.
• Typically the statutory period is deferred (tolled) during infancy and starts to run only on the patient’s 18th birthday.
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Common Malpractice Allegations
• Surgery/post-op complications
• Failure to diagnose cancer
• Surgery/inadvertent act
• Improper treatment (birth related)
• Failure to diagnose fracture or dislocation
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Most Expensive Settlements
• Improper treatment (birth related)
• Failure to diagnose hemorrhage
• Failure to diagnose myocardial infarction
• Failure to diagnose infection
• Failure to diagnose cancer
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Other concerns which may impact liability
• Unrealistic patient expectations
• Non response to complaints
• Illegible medical records
• Insufficient information in medical records
• No follow-up on abnormal tests
• Professional miscommunication
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Summary
• Risk Managers need to be aware of both professional and facility liabilities
• Malpractice claims can be very complex
• Setting policies and procedures and following them are important in minimizing malpractice liability