Syllabi: Clinical Risk Management: A Proactive Approach

INSTITUTION: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

PRESENTER: R. Mark Jones, Esq. of Roetzel & Andress law firm

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Martin Kohn, Ph.D., Director of the Human Values in Medicine Program (email: mfk@neoucom.EDU)

ENROLLMENT: workshop

SEMESTER: Spring 2000
April 28 (Friday, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.)

LEARNING GOALS: These instructional sessions are designed with the intent of making theparticipants more aware of the medical-legal climate which affects their day to day practice of medicine. The course focuses on the clinical issues that create legal risks for the physician and medical risks for the patient. After completion of the instructional units, the medical student will have a more than basic understanding of the principles of clinical risk management, and by applying the proactive techniques learned, he or she should not only experience a reduction in the frequency of claims, but will find that a by-product of sound risk management is a higher quality of patient care and reduced health care costs.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Lecture presentations. Each instructional unit leaves time forquestions and answers, and an open exchange of ideas during the presentation is encouraged by all participants.

OUTLINE:

UNIT 1: The Anatomy of a Lawsuit - The presentation discusses the various aspects of a medical malpractice case from the time the alleged malpractice occurs, until all appeals are exhausted. The step by step process is presented, so as to assist those physicians who are sued, to better understand the various steps of a lawsuit, and the physician's role in participating in his defense. It is beneficial for those who have never been sued because it demonstrates how devastating a lawsuit can be to a physician, and thus encourages sound risk management practices to avoid litigation.

UNIT 2: Factors Precipitating a Lawsuit - This unit of instruction is not a statistical presentation, but is a discussion of the clinical issues that lead patients to seek advice of a plaintiff's counsel. Topics discussed are not the technical practice of medicine, but the operational side of the clinical practice, and each topic is supplemented with a true life example and narrative to demonstrate the points made.

UNIT 3: Factors Contributing to a Loss - This unit specifically addresses why a judge or jury may find a physician defendant culpable based on the actions of the physician after the alleged malpractice. This unit also is supplemented with true life narratives, and the emphasis is placed on instructing the participant in what actions to take to minimize the loss.

HVM CREDITS: 1