Introduction
The practice of medicine involves a complex set of responsibilities and tasks, including diagnosing diseases, providing treatment, and managing patient care. However, in addition to these clinical responsibilities, physicians face the risk of medico-legal problems, including medical malpractice claims and lawsuits. Solving these problems is often time-consuming and can be costly to practitioners. Therefore, it is essential for practicing physicians to take steps to control medico-legal costs.
Discussion
Control of the medical expenses of practicing physicians requires an integrated approach, including preventive measures and effective resolution of legal issues when they arise. One strategy is defensive medicine, which includes measures to reduce medical malpractice risk (Raveesh et al., 2016). This includes obtaining informed consent and keeping detailed medical records. In addition, healthcare providers must keep abreast of the latest advances in medicine and technology. It will help them provide the best possible care and reduce the risk of medical errors.
Moreover, medico-legal issues arise in case of misdiagnosis or prescribing errors. Due to problems in communication with the patient, the physician may make an inaccurate diagnosis, fail to identify possible complications or be unaware of the medications the patient is taking (Raveesh et al., 2016). Therefore, effective communication is one of the critical factors for successfully controlling the medico-legal costs of practicing physicians. Moreover, the medical institution should have well-established treatment policies and protocols, and in case of a problem, work with legal counsel to effectively resolve the issue and minimize costs. Most of the risks in the medical field are preventable or strategic (Harvard Business Review, 2020). Therefore, they require a developed rule-based model or an established risk-management system to manage them.
Conclusion
Thus, medico-legal costs can pose a significant threat to practicing physicians. Complaints and patient lawsuits are a primary concern, causing these issues for healthcare providers. However, the risks of these problems can be successfully controlled by taking measures to prevent them or by creating a risk-management system. Establishing communication with the patient, adhering to hospital policies and protocols, and regularly maintaining patient medical records are effective strategies for practitioners to reduce medical-legal costs. In addition, in case of problems, medical institutions should seek professional legal counsel to resolve issues.
References
Harvard Business Review. (2020). HBR’s 10 must reads on managing risk. Harvard Business Review Press.
Raveesh, B. N., Nayak, R. B., & Kumbar, S. F. (2016). Preventing medico-legal issues in clinical practice. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 19(1), 15-20. Web.