Maryland doesn’t have the highest number of medical malpractice cases. In fact, from June 2019 through August 2019, a total of 59 medical malpractice lawsuits were filed in this area, which is less than 20 cases every month. Still, this does not eliminate the necessity of Waldorf medical malpractice lawyers, who can help any doctor or institution that was sued in such a case.
But rather than having to defend yourself in a medical malpractice claim, you should be able to avoid it. It’s not always the easiest thing, but it’s less stressful than having to go through the trouble of a whole lawsuit.
How do you avoid a medical malpractice claim? Check out this article and find the tips you need.
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Table of Contents
Get Everything in Writing
It’s essential to document everything when you are dealing with clients, even the smallest details. You never know when stuff that you’ve written down will be helpful. Therefore, you may want to document your discussions and keep the papers in a safe place in case they will come in handy. This way, if you’re ever accused of certain actions, you will be able to defend yourself using proof.
At the same time, you should make sure you document everything correctly. What you get in writing should be complete information and should be correct – otherwise, it may only make your case worse.
When you write things down, make sure that you write legibly, and then also add the date and time of the entry and your signature at the end. Everything, including discoveries, decisions, instructions, and advice should be recorded.
Identify everyone from the report. Also, if there is information that you are not sure whether you should document or not, it’s best to write it down.
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Communicate with Your Patients
Good communication skills can save you from a medical malpractice lawsuit. You should be able to establish good relationships with your patients, ensuring they will not want to sue their doctor.
This means that it is crucial to listen to all of their concerns and questions, but also have patience when you are treating them. The better the relationship and the better you are able to communicate with them, the smaller the chances of a lawsuit will be.
Do your best to establish healthy relationships with patients and make sure they get all the care they need. This way, you might be able to avoid malpractice claims.
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Get Informed Consent
Before you perform any procedure on a patient or offer them any type of treatment, you should always discuss important elements like the pricing and the risks. Then, you should obtain informed consent from your patient or their guardian before performing the procedure.
In this situation, you will have to take advantage of your writing skills to make sure these aspects are well-documented.
Even though this is something that you’d think all doctors do, it keeps being a very common problem. So, it is best to avoid it unless you want to be spending money on lawyers.
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Ask for Feedback
As a doctor, asking patients, staff, and colleagues for feedback can be a scary thing. You fear what they might say, as it might ruin your confidence in your knowledge and skills.
But asking for feedback is a good way to avoid a medical malpractice claim, as it tells you what your potential problems are and will allow you to work on fixing them. Don’t be afraid to ask for people’s opinions and then do an effort to become the best version of yourself.
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Have High Standards
You should set higher standards if you want a smooth run of your practice. This means that you should have consistent procedures and protocols.
Therefore, when it comes to cancellations, prescriptions, security, and complaints, you should have very strict and clear policies. The same should apply to medical information storage.
On top of that, it’s important to know the new developments in your particular area of specialty so your practices are not out of date.
The Bottom Line
Medical malpractice claims can be very scary, whether you’re a newer doctor or an experienced doctor with a very long history in the field. The best thing to do is avoid them – and for that, you need to keep a few things in mind. Make efforts to communicate with clients and give them the best care. Set high standards, be there for your patients, and always write everything down. It’ll help you stay away from lawsuits.
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