What is “good” medical care? And, is it only provided by clinicians? Many health care providers might view “good” care as something related to positive clinical outcomes and measurable health improvements, but how do patients view good medical care? You might be surprised, but many patients have a much larger definition of medical care and […]

Today, let’s explore the top 5 reasons Internists are sued for medical malpractice. Knowing is half the battle, right? Our data today comes from a large-scale, recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, entitled, “Characteristics of Medical Professional Liability Claims Against Internists.” Of the 33,747 closed-claim medical malpractice cases that involved Internists, there were five […]

Many would agree that the execution of advance directives is a good thing, and that such documents can often clarify stressful, confusing situations. But, what happens when an advance directive is not interpreted correctly? And, how often does this happen? The answer is we don’t really know. What we do know is that the potential […]

When you went into medicine, did you ever think that you’d have to be prepared to fend off a shooter in your place of employment? It’s a sad fact that the phenomenon of disturbed individuals deciding to take out their anger/frustration/alienation on innocent individuals in public places isn’t going away. And, as a result, hospitals […]

On this blog, we often write about data breaches of medical records, computer systems and electronic devices. But, intentional tampering can occur with other kinds of electronics in the health care setting, too –specifically, medical equipment. Tampering with medical equipment can result in medical errors, mistreatment and/or patient injury. This new form of medical liability […]

As more and more stories are published detailing how even the largest health care systems can fall victim to data breaches, we are seeing an increase in requests for this type of coverage. Dealing with a data breach is an awful experience for everyone involved and can have significant financial, administrative and reputation-tarnishing effects. Financial […]

MedPageToday.com recently had a great article talking about the use of apology in medicine. The article featured an assortment of physicians and one lawyer. And, while no one wants to anticipate a medical error, it is a good idea to think about what one would do and how one would handle it, should one occur. […]

The physician-patient relationship is a complex weave of expectation, communication and trust. When a patient corrupts that relationship by repeatedly arriving late for appointments, failing to pay for services rendered or menacing you or your staff, you have the right to terminate that relationship. When a patient refuses to follow their treatment plan or exhibits […]

When we talk about the “art and science” of medicine, the ability to negotiate with patients and colleagues clearly falls under the “art” part. And, while more and more medical schools are recognizing the importance of teaching communication skills, like breaking bad news, I don’t know if any school is teaching the art of negotiation […]