|
|
What can a patient do to prevent malpractice from occurring?
Home » Healthcare Administration » Physician Malpractice Insurance » What can a patient do to prevent malpractice from occurring?There is a growing practice of patients taking someone with them to the doctor’s office to be “a second set of ears” in order to understand all that the doctor is saying with regard to the person’s care. This friend/advocate can ask questions that the patient may not think of at the time and even quiz the patient to make sure they heard the same thing as the physician spoke. Similar to this, in an attempt to be a good/careful patient, people are insisting that there is a trusted friend with them at all times while they are hospitalized. The friend can ask friendly but direct questions about all medications that are being administered and can notice if there is an abrupt change in the hospitalized person’s health. The more educated a patient can be about his or her condition, the chances are greater that communication between he or she and the doctor will be better. A very important rule of thumb is: when in doubt, ask and document!
Sources:
www.thedoctors.com
www.aapa.org
www.irmi.com
www.cbsnews.com
Related Physician Malpractice Insurance Articles
- Physician Malpractice Insurance Overview
- Why have malpractice insurance rates skyrocketed in recent years?
- What kinds of reforms are being made?
- What areas of medicine receive the highest levels of malpractice claims?
- What can doctors do to protect themselves against lawsuits?
- What can a patient do to prevent malpractice from occurring?