How to Reduce Medical Malpractice Claims

Medical malpractice lawsuits are a huge financial burden for medical professionals. Not to mention the headache and hassle that a patient suffers if they are the victim of malpractice. Defending a malpractice lawsuit can also create a great deal of stress for everyone involved.

The rise in malpractice lawsuits and medical malpractice insurance rates has brought together lawmakers and medical professionals to collaborate and come up with ideas to reduce medical malpractice claims and make the process go much quicker.

Here are a few proposals that have been made to reduce malpractice claims:

* Improve safety performance - Professionals in the medical field should put more focus on improving safety performance in health care settings. Find out what is causing the most claims and work together to establish standards to improve in those areas. Medical professionals should also be required to study medical malpractice prevention as part of their licensing.

* Focus on doctors with a history of medical malpractice - Doctors who have a history of malpractice are the ones causing the most problems. The focus should be on taking away their licenses until they can prove that their worthy of practicing medicine again.

* Encourage doctors to communicate with patients - If something happens that was unexpected or a mistake was made, doctors should be open and honest with their patients. People who trust their doctor are less likely to file a lawsuit.

* Create courts of law that specialize in medical malpractice suits - There have been bills introduced to Congress that would allow these types of courts to be set up. Litigation will no longer be passed from judge to judge and there would be greater consistency in decision-making.

If lawmakers and medical professionals work together and stay focused on these goals, it will only be a matter of time that medical malpractice suits will decrease and malpractice insurance rates will become more affordable for physicians.

About the Author

Maria Palma is a freelance writer and internet marketer dedicated to helping businesses expand their online presence. If you are seeking physician malpractice insurance, you can request a free malpractice insurance quote online.