The authors of an article in Academic Medicine (Wisdom in Medicine by Plews-Ogan et al., [PMID 26352764]) suggest that “wisdom”, partially defined as comprehending “the deeper meaning of the interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects of life, [tolerating] ambiguity and uncertainty as well as [understanding] the limits of his or her knowledge,” is not only a wished-for… Read More »Can Wisdom Follow a Medical Error?
The number of medical malpractice claims has decreased in recent years but the severity of claims is up, according to the PIAA. The PIAA’s findings come from its Data Sharing Project (DSP), the largest ongoing independent collaborative database of medical professional liability (MPL) claims and lawsuits. An excellent malpractice litigation support resource for physicians, the… Read More »PIAA on Malpractice Litigation Trends: Claims Down, Severity Up
Like combat-hardened military veterans, physicians don’t often talk about the ones they lost. When they do, listening to them provides an illuminating window on what it means to be a doctor. Scott Eggener, an Associate Professor of Surgery and Co-Director of the Prostate Cancer Program at the University of Chicago, bravely discusses his own experience… Read More »Learning to Listen to Our Grief When the Worst Happens
It isn’t a surprise that malpractice lawsuits can wreak long-term financial and emotional havoc on physicians, but it helps to put into perspective just how detrimental the experience of being sued can be. Medscape’s Medical Malpractice Report for 2015, “Why Most Doctors Get Sued,” is a telling survey of almost 4000 primary care physicians and… Read More »Medical Malpractice Survey: Litigation’s Toll on Doctors