Minimizing medical litigation, Part 1.
The global rise in medical litigation has led to defensive medical practices and rising malpractice insurance premiums. There is a need to review all possible factors influencing litigiousness of the society and to develop strategies to control such factors. Some of the contributory causes of rising litigiousness include higher patients' expectations, poor provider-patient communication, and adversarial legalism of the society. A good combination of system, professional, and legislative strategies may keep medical litigation in check. Part 2 of this article will address the development of a dispute resolution framework.
Harold
Tan Keng Boon
TK
Manpower Standards and Development Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore, Blk 618, Jurong West St. 65, #13-428, Singapore 640618. Harold_tan@moh.gov.sg
D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014481:United States