Medical malpractice claims, when successful, can cost a facility or insurance company hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases. They could also affect the licensing of an individual or a facility.
Obviously, your facility wants to avoid making mistakes in the administration of medicine. You also want to prevent lawsuits and insurance claims that might limit your ability to provide care to others in the future.
Proper practices by the medical professionals you employ can significantly reduce the likelihood of medical mistakes and the risk of a malpractice claim against them or their employer.
Engage earnestly with individual patients
Ignoring patient complaints, getting distracted during rounds or rushing through patient interactions can all lead to miss warning signs, misdiagnosis and similar failures. Even when the nurses, doctors and other medical staff have more obligations and time, they still need to prioritize interacting with, caring for and listening to each of their patients. Doing so will make the patients feel safer and reduce the likelihood of ignoring crucial warning signs.
Documents care steps quickly and regularly
For many people in the medical profession, medical record-keeping or charting is a headache much like the homework despised by most high schoolers. Needing to constantly fill out and update paperwork throughout the day can detract from patient interactions and care.
However, those records help other professionals treat the same patient later and also protect the care provider and facility if something goes wrong. Thorough medical records showing that patients received appropriate care can help a facility push back against allegations of medical malpractice. When accusations of medical malpractice happen, it’s wise to seek professional legal guidance right away.
