Relias Media - Continuing Medical Education Publishing

The trusted source for

healthcare information and

CONTINUING EDUCATION.

  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • MyAHC
    • Home
      • Home
      • Newsletters
      • Blogs
      • Archives
      • CME/CE Map
      • Shop
    • Emergency
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Hospital
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Clinical
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • All Access
      • Subscribe Now
      • My Subscription
    • My Account
      • My Subscriptions
      • My Content
      • My Orders
      • My CME/CE
      • My Transcript
    Home » Hospital cuts medmal 50% in obstetrics

    Hospital cuts medmal 50% in obstetrics

    August 1, 2014
    No Comments
    Reprints
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin Share Share

    Related Articles

    VA programs cuts CLABSIs by >50%

    Engineers study design, hospital cuts falls 50%

    Medmal payments lowest ever in 2011, advocacy group says

    Related Products

    ANA Prepares for Return of Ebola – or Anything Else

    How to Improve the Quality of Case Management Departments through Staffing, Part 2

    Jury Awards $10 Million for Wrongful Death of Newborn

    Keywords

    risk management

    Hospital Management

    Hospital cuts medmal 50% in obstetrics

    A Connecticut hospital saw a 50% drop in malpractice liability claims and payments when it made patient safety initiatives a priority by training doctors and nurses to improve teamwork and communication, hiring a patient safety nurse, and standardizing practices, according to a study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

    The results, published in the June 9, 2014, online issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, come at a time when mounting concerns about liability are thinning the ranks of obstetricians in the United States, says author Christian Pettker, MD, associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.

    "Liability insurance rates are not controlled, malpractice awards continue to increase, and there is increasing awareness of litigiousness in clinical practice," Pettker says. "As a result, obstetricians are increasingly reducing or dropping out of practice, and future physicians are discouraged from entering the field."

    In 2004, Pettker and his team partnered with their liability insurance carrier to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment.

    The team then made improvements to the healthcare system and culture by standardizing care, learning and practicing new teamwork protocols, and enhancing oversight of clinical work. The hospital hired a patient safety nurse, for example, and established specific ways in which clinicians would work as a team to care for an expectant mother and child.

    Comparing two time periods

    The team compared the five-year period before the safety program was implemented to the five-year period afterward.

    "We found a 50% reduction in liability claims and also found that the payments made for these liability claims decreased 95%, from over $50 million to under $3 million," Pettker says.

    In two prior studies, Pettker and his team found that the same safety-improvement program reduced adverse outcomes and created an improved culture of safety on obstetrical units. "This new publication demonstrates yet another positive result of our program," he said. "We’ve found that standardizing care, improving teamwork and communication, and optimizing oversight and quality review reduces liability exposure."

    Pettker says that while most of the measures in the hospital’s program make sense to outside observers, some involve substantial and systematic changes that might be resisted by nurses and doctors who value individual knowledge, skills, and experience.

    "We don’t think that this is a cure to the medical liability crisis, but this is certainly one approach that can both make things safe for the patient and have tremendous improvements and reduce a lot of the costs in healthcare that go to the defense of medicine and liability," Pettker says.

    Source

    • Christian Pettker, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Telephone: (203) 785-3091. Email: Christian.pettker@yale.edu.

    Post a comment to this article

    Report Abusive Comment

    www.reliasmedia.com

    Healthcare Risk Management

    View PDF
    Healthcare Risk Management 2014-08-01
    August 1, 2014

    Table Of Contents

    Infant abductions hit all-time low, but older children still at risk

    Don’t rush to high-tech solutions without assessment

    Amber Alert drill a little too realistic for hospital

    Alternative risk financing could be right for you

    Risk manager plays key role with captive

    Electronic communications still a major risk

    Sexting in surgery, Facebook post among latest problems

    Electronic security a growing concern in healthcare

    Essential education on cyber security in healthcare

    Hospital cuts medmal 50% in obstetrics

    Nonpunitive response to errors top list of hospital concerns

    Hospital to pay $41 million to settle fraud claims

    Wrong kidney removed — malpractice suit follows

    Sutter invests million in lifts to improve patient safety

    Correction in July HRM

    Surgical mistake leads to infection, loss of large intestine, and $12 million verdict

    Misdiagnosis leads to ruptured aneurysm — Survivor awarded $13.2 million

    Begin Test
    Buy this Issue/Course

    Shop Now: Search Products

    • Subscription Publications
    • Books & Study Guides
    • Webinars
    • Group & Site
      Licenses
    • State CME/CE
      Requirements

    Webinars And Events

    View All Events
    • Home
      • Home
      • Newsletters
      • Blogs
      • Archives
      • CME/CE Map
      • Shop
    • Emergency
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Hospital
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Clinical
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • All Access
      • Subscribe Now
      • My Subscription
    • My Account
      • My Subscriptions
      • My Content
      • My Orders
      • My CME/CE
      • My Transcript
    • Help
    • Search
    • About Us
    • Sign In
    • Register
    Relias Media - Continuing Medical Education Publishing

    The trusted source for

    healthcare information and

    CONTINUING EDUCATION.

    Customer Service

    customerservice@reliasmedia.com

    U.S. and Canada: 1-800-688-2421

    International +1-404-262-5476

    Accounts Receivable

    1-800-370-9210
    ReliasMedia_AR@reliasmedia.com

    Mailing Address

    • 1010 Sync St., Suite 100
      Morrisville, NC 27560-5468
      USA

    © 2021 Relias. All rights reserved.

    Do Not Sell My Personal Information  Privacy Policy  Terms of Use  Contact Us  Reprints  Group Sales

    For DSR inquiries or complaints, please reach out to Wes Vaux, Data Privacy Officer, DPO@relias.com

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing