Why is it that the vast majority of people who are injured as a
result ofmedical negligence don't sue for malpractice?
It all comes down to interpersonal skills, say Vanderbilt
University researchers.
They interviewed 963 Florida women about their level of
satisfaction with their obstetrician-gynecologist, none of whom they had
sued for malpractice. The physicians, meanwhile, were sorted into four
groups, depending on how frequently they had been sued.
A panel of experts, who didn't know which doctor group was which,
examined their medical records for clues to competence. The experts
couldn't find differences in the quality of care among the doctors who
had been sued least and sued most, even when asked if they would send a
relative to see the physician in question.
"We found profound differences between the groups when it came to
the doctor-patient relationship, reports Gerald Hickson, M.D., in the
Journal of the American Medical Association. The doctors who were sued
the most elicited twice as many complaints from the women as those who
had never been sued. Invariably, the women felt that they were rushed or
ignored on their visits, or that their questions were not
answered.
"lt's just not in the nature of these doctors to pay adequate
attention to their patient relationships," says Hickson. And it clearly
comes back to haunt them.
Say a child is born with unexplained health problems. A family
whose questions are ignored following a problematic delivery are more apt
to question their obstetrician's competence--in court.
"The tragedy is that the doctors who acquire many claims never
understand why," comments Hickson. He proposes review systems that look
not just at a single suit, but the pattern of complaints--and gives the
physician feedback on interpersonal skills.
Hickson thinks things are getting better. "Medical schools are
finally recognizing the therapeutic effect of a good doctor-patient
relationship and its preventive effects in malpractice.
Tags:
adequate attention,
american medical association,
complaint,
doctor group,
doctor patient relationship,
florida women,
health problems,
hickson,
interpersonal skill,
interpersonal skills,
journal of the american medical association,
lawsuit,
malpractice,
medical records,
medical schools,
negligence,
obstetrician gynecologist,
patient relationships,
profound differences,
quality of care,
vanderbilt university researchers
