Every profession demands liability on the part of the employees
or workers to render a quality services to its customers and
clients. This professional liability in medical practice is also
equally important especially when one is dealing with a human life.
In the modern era, the incidences of malpractices by the health
care providers have advanced. These mal practices not only harms
the client physically but also effects them socially,economically
amd mentally. Some of the examples of medical malpractice are
missed diagnosis, delayed diagnosis, medication errors, surgical
errors, childbirth injuries. In many cases, medical malpractices
have resulted in life threathening events.
These medical malpractices occurs at different levels of care
and by physicians, nurses and other health care providers. Certain
laws, policies and protocols have been established in order to
check this incidences of medical practices so that appropriate
action can be taken to prevent its occurences. The committee
responsible to check the occurences of malpractices have developed
certain long term and short term recommendation.
Long term
recomemendation:
- Alternative to tort system: The methods for resolving the
medical malpractice claims needs to be changed. New alternatives
should be found to settle the disputes between provider and
patients.
- The ferderal government should support the pilot studies:
Evolving solution to this problem is the responsibility of state
but the federal government should also assist the state in
resolving this problem. It should fund the pilot studies done to
find research the solution for medical malpractice.
- A national database on malpractice should be developed: The
national database should include the details about the various
medical malpractices, its claims and settlements which can be
utilized for study purpose.
- Systematic technology assessment is important: The diagnosis
and treatment depends on various technology like procedures and
modern equipments whose reliability should be checked
periodically.
Short term
recommendations:
- Solving the access problem for the poor: Many of the health
issues are prevalent due non accessibility of the healthcare
services. Therefore measures should be taken to make services
equally and easily accessible to the poor.
- States should contribute to the professional liability coverage
for medicaid providers
- The national health service corps should be expanded. The
various scholarship programs for student who are financially
incapable should be provided so that more number of health care
professional are generated.
- Patient safety should be prioritized. This will reduce the
medical errors.