Tag Archive for ‘medical liability reform’
American College of Surgeons 2017 statement on health care reform
The ACS has developed a statement on health care reform featuring four core principles that should be reflected in any related legislation.
Looking forward – March 2017
In this month’s column, Dr. Hoyt describes the College’s commitment to key advocacy initiatives that ensure access to quality care for surgical patients, reduce health care costs, and promote meaningful change.
State legislatures get back to work
An update on state legislative priorities for the ACS, including implementation of provisions in the Affordable Care Act, coverage for bariatric surgery, medical liability reform, scope of practice, and trauma are summarized in this article.
New resources from the College offer alternative approaches to medical liability reform
Surgeons and Medical Liability: A Guide to Understanding Medical Liability Reform—a primer on liability reform developed by the College—is summarized as are the challenges of using federal tort reform as a means of solving the nation’s medical liability challenges.
Statement on medical liability reform
The following statement on medical liability reform was developed by the ACS Legislative Committee and was approved by the Board of Regents at its October 2014 meeting.
Liability reform, scope of practice, trauma topped state legislative agendas in 2014
An overview of state legislation, regulation, and judicial rulings from 2014 is provided. Specific issues covered include updates on medical liability reform, trauma and injury prevention, and scope of practice.
Reading the tea leaves for state legislatures in 2014
A brief overview of health care activities at the state level in 2013 followed by a summary of legislative and policy trends for 2014 are highlighted in this article.
2013 state legislative wrap-up
An overview of state legislation, regulation, and judicial rulings from 2013 is provided in this article, including updates on medical liability reform, injury prevention, scope of practice, and other issues.
Progress or retrogress? Status of the 113th Congress
This overview of the first seven months of the 113th Congress provides updates on all of the College’s priority legislative issues including Medicare payment, trauma care, scope of practice, workforce issues, and medical liability.
The 113th Congress: A look at the year ahead
This article is a prognostication of where the College’s legislative agenda is headed during the 113th U.S. Congress. Issues of greatest concerns include physician payment reform, medical liability, surgical workforce shortages and education, and funding for trauma system programs.
New approaches to liability reform: An introduction
The following articles in this special edition of the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons are drawn from the discussions that occurred at the 2012 Medical Liability Reform Summit, which took place October 19, 2012 at the ACS Washington Office. Speakers offered proposed solutions to the problems inherent in the current medical liability system. The College’s leadership anticipates that the symposium and publication of these articles will stimulate further exploration and discussion of this important issue.
AHRQ program promotes patient safety and liability reform
This article summarizes the purposes and ongoing results of the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) Medical Liability Reform and Patient Safety Initiative. The $25 million initiative provides grants to health care organizations that have agreed to develop systems that promote patient safety and medical liability reform. Examples of how institutions are using the grants are provided.
Medical mediation: Bringing everyone to the table
This article focuses on the form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that has been applied most widely in medical liability lawsuits—mediation. Two models of mediation are presented. Potential roadblocks to implementing ADR also are discussed.
The University of Michigan’s Early Disclosure and Offer Program
This article looks at the early disclosure and offer program at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, which has shown promising results since its implementation 10 years ago. The program has served to increase accountability, improve the physician-patient relationship, reduce costly litigation, and improve patient safety.
New York State shows benefits of CRP demonstration project
New York State has responded to the challenges of achieving medial liability reform in part through an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-funded Patient Safety and Medical Liability Reform Demonstration Project. This article describes the processes and systems created to meet its objectives.
Health courts may be best cure for what ails the liability system
The authors assert that health courts are the best solution to the failures of the current liability system. These special courts may improve reliability and consistency in rulings, Reduce costs associated with defensive medicine, provide fair and efficient compensation for injured patients, enhance patient safety, and boost physician accountability.
Health courts will not cure all liability ills
The authors maintain that health courts are an inadequate solution to the problems associated with professional liability. These courts may reduce the rights of injured patients and create a new, costly, unnecessary administrative system. They also are likely to stimulate improvements in the safety or quality of health care delivery.
New directions in liability reform
The current medical liability system has multiple shortcomings, which are summarized in this article. The authors describe the pros and cons of several alternatives for reforming the liability system, including safe harbors, early disclosure and offer programs, judge-directed negotiation programs, and health courts.
Safe harbors: Liability reform for patients and physicians
This article highlights the purpose and functions of safe harbors, as well the pros and cons of developing and implementing safe harbors in liability lawsuits. The results of demonstration projects centered on the use of clinical guidelines as safe harbors also are described.
Alternatives to litigation are available: The liability insurer’s perspective
This article demonstrates how one insurance carrier, CRICO, has embraced and achieved the twin goals of protecting health care providers and promoting patient safety. CRICO is the largest medical liability insurer in Massachusetts.
