Question.1216 - Discuss the purpose and value of professional liability insurance from the perspective of the doctor-patient relationship. Discuss the impact of medical liability lawsuits on the practice of medicine and on society. Discuss your recommendations for reducing the numbers of such lawsuits and reducing the cost of professional liability premiums.
Answer Below:
Hello Everyone,?Firstly - professional liability insurance tends to aid healthcare providers like doctors by mitigating the financial risks associated with various malpractice claims and also protecting their assets; since this job sector revolves around unpredictability, insurance aids in the form of safety wheels, in scenario if there are allegations against a doctor in terms of malpractice, here the insurance will help in taking away the financial burden when it comes to legal defense and potential compensation claims; wherein considering Vegas case discussed in discussion 1 question - if professional liability insurance were present, it would've protected the healthcare professional from against negligence.? In terms of assessing the relationship from an ethical standpoint, it tends to create a sense of risk for the patients that doctors are protected from potential lawsuits, while on the other hand, doctors could be more comfortable in terms of performing any professional tasks with transparency that in turn could also produce trust in the relationship; However, if liability concerns become excessive, it might lead to defensive medicine, where doctors order unnecessary tests or procedures to protect themselves legally, potentially straining the doctor-patient dynamic (Hodgin, 2020). Impact of Medical Liability Lawsuits, considering the Practice of Medicine, could have instilled a sense of fear of litigation that, in turn, drives defensive medicine practices, establishing the varying scope for unnecessary tests and medical procedures resulting in delays in medical aid and increased healthcare costs on all the stakeholders involved (Hodgin, 2020). Moreover, the stress and time-consuming nature of legal proceedings can negatively affect a physician's mental well-being and job satisfaction - in the long run, if similar trends are continued, it could hamper the workforce contribution rate, especially in high-risk specialties. In terms of assessing the impact on society, defensive medicine could cast a financial burden on everyone, such as increased insurance premiums and lower accessibility of specialized treatments that are under insurance coverage; in the long run - it could hamper the accessibility of healthcare, and the sufferers will be middle and the lower economic class of the population (Hodgin, 2020).?? Some of the possible recommendations would be to establish an open and transparent communication practice in order to instill a practice of well-informed trust that will also reduce the scope of misinformation/misunderstanding; consider alternative dispute resolution either through mediation or arbitration - with the intent to reduce the cost of legal hearings and also establish the potential to draft the solution in a quicker manner (Hodgin, 2020). Legal reformation could be considered by putting a tab on the non-economic damages to stabilize professional liability premiums. Other solutions could be education and training in order to instill a better understanding of clinical skills, patient safety programs, risk management, communication skills, and healthcare law.? References Hodgin, R. (Ed.). (2020).?Professional liability: law and insurance. Taylor & Francis.More Articles From Medicine
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