Legal experts say some patients are quicker to sue their doctors than others—and taking proactive steps with those patients can help reduce a physician’s legal risks.
“[T]here’s going to be a subset of individuals who are more likely to sue than others. There are individuals who walk in and are ready to be unhappy,” says Gerald Hickson, director of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Based on legal experts and various studies, American Medical News outlines some of the key characteristics of lawsuit-prone patients:
According to "The Legal Risk Patient," physicians can prevent malpractice suits by:
If a patient is continuously dissatisfied with a physician’s care, physicians should consider ending the relationship, medical experts told American Medical News.
In those instances, physicians should follow the appropriate guidelines to prevent an "abandonment" claim, says Richard Roberts, president of the World Organization of Family Doctors (Gallegos, American Medical News, 2/4).
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