As a medical professional, you hold a duty of care to your patients. So if you breach this duty of care, and your patients suffer from injuries and damages as a result, then you may run into some trouble. That is, a medical malpractice lawsuit may be coming your way. Read on to discover how you can avoid a medical malpractice lawsuit being placed against you and how one of the seasoned New York physician defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can fight on your behalf.
In what ways can I avoid a medical malpractice claim against me?
There are many best practices for avoiding a medical malpractice claim against you. For one, it is important that you document every interaction you have with your patient in writing. Such documentation is vital for defending yourself in the event of a lawsuit. And such documentation should include the following elements:
- Reports that have legible writing, so that they can be fully interpreted.
- Reports that include the full name of your patient.
- Reports that include the date and time of every appointment you have with a patient.
- Reports that include your diagnosis and your medical recommendations for your patient’s health-related issue.
- Reports that include your signature, so that your awareness of its contents is confirmed.
On top of this, it is important that you hold a standard of open and honest communication between you and your patient. Such communication gives your patients the ability to make properly informed decisions regarding their health-related issues. So, you should ensure that none of their questions go unanswered, share as much information about their health condition as you can, and provide genuine medical recommendations that have their best interests in mind.
How else can I prevent a medical malpractice claim?
Below are other tips you can follow so that you can prevent a medical malpractice claim from being filed against you:
- Make sure you are aware of any and all medical standards that have been revised or updated in your jurisdiction.
- Make sure that you have consent from a patient, and their guardian if necessary, before performing any type of medical procedure on them.
- Make sure that you are transparent with your patient about the possible outcomes or side effects before performing any type of medical procedure on them.
- Make sure that you schedule follow-up appointments with your patient to be informed on how their health conditions have changed or improved.
All in all, you must understand that with a lawsuit against you, your livelihood is on the line. This is why you must take the proper precautions before it is too late. But in the end, one of the competent attorneys from our firm is ready to stand by your side in your fight against these accusations. Give us a call when you can.
