The American Medical Association website (www.ama-assn.org) is a superb resource for information on the current medical liability climate. The site contains an excellent search resource on Medical Liability that reviews current AMA policy on the subject, as well as links to updates on national and state legislative activities. Some of these links are designated as restricted to AMA members.
Many medical and specialty societies have web-based materials that provide support for members who are involved in the litigation process, some of which are available to non-members. Physicians should search their own specialty society website for such materials. The public section of many specialty society home pages also provides updates on professional liability related to the specific specialty society. Examples include:
- The American College of Emergency Physicians (www.acep.org). The ACEP offers an extensive list of resources related to stress in general as well as litigation stress. There is also a volunteer member peer support program that can be reached at http://www.acepnow.com/aid-legal-stress/. The Resource Document on litigation stress of the ACEP Medical Liability Committee is available for downloading.
- The American Academy of Family Physicians (www.aafp.org) provides public access to a series of articles related to professional liability and malpractice stress such as “Coping with the Stress of Being Sued,” by Chantal M.L.R. Brazeau from Family Practice Management.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (www.acog.org) offers an extensive section of resources on their website devoted to Professional Liability, some of which are available to non-members. “Coping with Litigation: A Resource Directory for OB-Gyns” lists support programs available state by state. There is a DVD available for purchase entitled “Healing Our Own: Adverse Events in Obstetrics and Gynecology”. The 2015 ACOG Survey on Professional Liability is available for downloading. The college also offers litigation stress resources for members only.
- The American College of Surgeons (www.facs.org) offers access to the Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons that includes articles on litigation such as “Malpractice Litigation as a Disruptive Life Experience” by Sara Charles, MD (2005: 90(12), p. 18). The ACS also provides a few searchable resources on litigation stress.
- American College of Physicians (www.acponline.org) posts Litigation Stress related articles from among its publications.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) offers access to its AAOS Now publication that includes articles to help physicians navigate the litigation process, including a two-part series, “You’ve been sued: Tips for defendant doctors” by David D. Teuscher, MD and Douglas W. Lundy, MD. (https://www.aaos.org/AAOSNow/2011/Oct/managing/managing4/and https://www.aaos.org/AAOSNow/2011/Dec/managing/managing4/). Additional articles and information can be found by searching the http://www.aaos.org website. Guests will be prompted to sign in or register for a free account in order to review full content articles.
- The Oregon Medical Association (OMA) has a litigation support program that features a panel of physicians who have been sued, survived the experience, and are available to support other physicians now facing a lawsuit.
- Texas Medical Association (www.texmed.org) provides a number of online and home study resources related to the stress of malpractice litigation including a CME program prepared by the TMA Committee on Physician Health and Wellness, entitled, “Coping with Stress in the Practice of Medicine,” that incorporates material on the specific stressor of malpractice litigation.