Patients can sue a clinician in the United States for medical malpractice if they do not receive the level of care that another clinician in the same position would have provided if they had the same credentials. Likewise, radiologists experience considerable anxiety about malpractice claims. Despite the best intentions, decisions taken in the heat of the moment still land specialists in court. Notably, the objective of malpractice litigation is to win by getting out as quickly as possible without being held liable for any damages. However the best case scenario is for radiologists to avoid medical malpractice claims altogether.
Despite the fact that physicians win 8 out of 10 medical malpractice trials, clinicians pay a high price because trial preparation takes a significant amount of time and resources.
There are several medical malpractice fallacies because clinicians are hesitant to discuss malpractice openly. Check out these top ways teleradiologists can avoid medical malpractice claims when providing telemedicine services.
Advanced Telemed Services is a pay-per-service company that offers a comprehensive option with access to radiologists who specialize in specific fields if you need technical assistance.
Using these methods, radiologists can avoid the most challenging and costly cases that are likely to go to trial.
1. Avoid Lengthy and Rambling Reports
If a report includes multiple findings that appear disparate with no obvious diagnosis, it can indicate that a greater mental effort is needed to read that report. For instance, in ischemic bowel cases where peritoneal fluid is present, the vascular compromise remains elusive. In this case, a clinician may be tempted to figure things out independently or leave things at that.
A report that amounts to “notes without music” should prompt the radiologist to revisit the case to find that unifying diagnosis.
2. Treat Preliminary Readings like Final Readings; that’s How a Judge Will Proceed
Three-quarters of the reports written by radiologists are preliminary, which are reviewed the next day by onsite client radiologists before giving a final report. This report entangles radiologists in legal issues with initial reads.
Therefore, radiologists should avoid assuming that the next clinician will notice their mistake. In most cases, the other radiologists may not put their full energy into the report because another expert has read the report. Both radiologists will most likely end up in court for missed findings.
3. Stick with the Anatomical Search Pattern You Have Established
Each radiologist must devise and adhere to a strict checklist for every interpretation. This checklist helps the radiologist know what to comment on, look for, and look at. Adhering to an established search pattern reduces medical errors and claims drastically.
4. Provide Multiple Channels of Communication, Including Phone Calls and Radiology Reports
Effective communication is vital in any enterprise; conversely it is even more fundamental in healthcare. The consequences of poor communication can be destructive. For instance, severe mortality and morbidity can occur if pneumonia is not treated quickly. Therefore, a new diagnosis of pneumonia should result in a phone call.
5. Always Be Cautious When Examining the Aorta
Regardless of the imaging parameters or the reason for the examination, the aorta should always be assessed to the best of your ability. Aortic dissections that eventually end up in court sometimes share certain characteristics that explain why the radiologist failed to spot the critical finding.
6. A Case Should Be Reviewed in All Aspects Rather Than in Detail
Many quality initiatives give radiologists clinical history, prior studies, lab values, and background data in most cases.
However, these details do not pertain to major medical malpractice cases. Instead, getting access to and viewing all planes of imaging is crucial.
7. Beware the Total Reversal Event
It is essential to take certain cognitive reports while the radiologist is observing the image sequence to avoid reporting abnormal findings as normal. Hence, taking a mental report of the specific sequence parameter reduces medical claim issues.
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