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Saying, “I’m sorry,” and Other Things That Can Impact Malpractice Claims

By Admin | June 17, 2016

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a study to find out which physician behaviors lead to malpractice claims. Results aren’t surprising; patients like to be treated like people and respected.

The five key findings are:

  • Lack of communication, availability, responsiveness and empathy from the physician puts him/her at an increased risk for malpractice claims.
  • Unhappy patients are more likely to sue than satisfied patients.
  • Twenty percent of physicians at one practice were responsible for 80 percent of malpractice claims.
  • A simple apology from a physician to a patient can possibly prevent malpractice claims.
  • Some states have attempted to mend the doctor-patient relationship with Apology Statutes. They allow doctors to apologize to patients when medical errors occur without fear of their apology being used against them in a malpractice claim.

For more, read “Physician behavior impacts malpractice claims rate — 5 takeaways” from Becker’s ASC Review.

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