Unexpected adverse outcomes can lead to allegations of medical malpractice; however, in the oncology specialty, many of the adverse outcomes are not unexpected. Nevertheless, the stressors of a lawsuit are devastating. Being aware of potential vulnerabilities can help reduce exposure. This article...
A review of paid otorhinolaryngology claims from 2009-2016 revealed that inappropriate surgical technique/treatment and failure to diagnose were the most common allegations. Often times the failure to timely diagnose was not the result of a lack of clinical judgment or medical expertise, but rathe...
A review of paid Ophthalmology claims from 2008-2016 revealed that inappropriate surgical technique and failure to diagnose were the most common allegations advanced. Often times the failure to timely diagnose was not the result of lack of clinical judgment or medical expertise, but rather, was th...
A review of SVMIC Interventional Pain Management claims with a paid loss from 2007 – 2016, reveals that medical judgment was challenged in 79% of the cases. Allegations included utilizing improper technique, failing to properly diagnose and treat a complication, failing to order proper diagnostic ...
A review of Neurosurgery closed claims from 2004 – 2016, where a loss was paid on behalf of an insured, reveals that there were 3 basic areas (excluding errors in medical judgment and/or technical performance) that contributed to the indefensibility of the claims. These topics are illustrated in the gra...
A review of SVMIC emergency medicine closed claims from 2006 – 2016, where a loss was paid on behalf of an insured, reveals four basic areas that contributed to the indefensibility of the claims as seen in the chart below. DOCUMENTATION ISSUES: Maintaining a well-documented medical record, from both ...
A review of closed paid pulmonology claims over a seven-year period revealed the primary allegation asserted was failure to diagnose and treat. Most typically, such diagnostic errors were not the result of lack of knowledge or diagnostic ability on the part of the physician, but rather, as the graph bel...
As the graph below illustrates, medication errors was a common theme in SVMIC paid nephrology claims over the past 5 years. Additionally, failure to diagnose was a primary allegation asserted in the claims. Most typically, the diagnostic errors were not the result of a lack of knowledge or diagnos...
A review of SVMIC hospitalist closed claims from 2008 – 2015, where a loss was paid on behalf of an insured, reveals three basic areas that contributed to the indefensibility of the claims. These issues are illustrated in the graph below: COMMUNICATION ISSUES: Effective c...
By Shelly Weatherly, JD, Vice President, Risk Education and Evaluation Services, SVMIC A review of SVMIC Urology claims from 2009 – 2015, where there was a paid loss on behalf of an insured, reveals that failure to timely diagnose and improper performance of a procedure were the most common noted ...
A review of SVMIC pathology claims from 2007 – 2016, where a monetary loss was paid on behalf of an insured, reveals the top two diagnoses involved to be: Cervical Cancer and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The vast majority of the claims involved a misread, which resulted in cancer advancement an...
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