Did you know that up to 40% of specialists are considering early retirement based on the stress caused by the constant threat of litigation?
How can you minimize your exposure?
Here are some guidelines to help you through the process:
- Develop risk management procedures and policies to guide your contact with patients from the time they first visit your consulting suite, to their time in theatre, through to post-operative management.
- Legally drafted consent forms should be designed to cover that entire journey, which list every reasonable risk.
- Be open and willing to talk to your patients and to create an atmosphere of good will. The threat of litigation decreases with greater communication.
Here are our suggestions for you to consider in your own Risk Management Audit. We hope they are helpful to you.
| Area | Are there policy and procedure protocols in place? Yes/No/Work in Progress | Person responsible for creation/implementation |
| Staff | ||
| Appointment Systems | ||
| Confidentiality and Privacy | ||
| Medical Records | ||
| Patient Referrals and Follow Up systems | ||
| Test Result Tracking | ||
| Infection Control and Waste Management | ||
| Patient Billing System | ||
| Complaint Management |
What are your tips for risk management?