Preparing emergency physicians for malpractice litigation: a joint emergency medicine residency-law school mock trial competition.
BACKGROUND
Fear of malpractice affects the daily life of many emergency physicians. Educational programs to prepare for litigation are lacking.


OBJECTIVE
An educational collaboration between an emergency medicine residency and a law school, whereby a medical malpractice mock trial competition is used to teach residents basic skills for testifying in legal proceedings.


METHODS
Ten residents in an academic emergency medicine program volunteered as witnesses in a malpractice mock trial competition at a law school. Residents testified two or three times and, after each appearance, were provided feedback to prepare them for subsequent rounds of testimony. They were also given access to videotaped testimony. Judges rated each resident using a nine-question survey scored on a 10-point Likert scale. Scores were compared as a group between rounds of testimony.


RESULTS
Participants demonstrated significant improvement in seven of nine measured categories. p-Values reached significance in: Worked Well on Direct Examination (p < 0.001), Demeanor/Body Language (p < 0.001), Was Not Arrogant/Did Not Lose Poise on Cross-Examination (p = 0.001), Convincing Witness (p = 0.001), Appeared Knowledgeable (p = 0.012), Courtroom Attire (p = 0.012), and Expressed Themselves Clearly (p = 0.017). In addition, residents anonymously reported broad educational benefit.


CONCLUSIONS
This novel educational collaboration taught residents about the process of litigation. It improved their communication skills and expanded their knowledge of documentation pitfalls, problems with staff interaction, and consequences of medical errors. This mutually beneficial partnership between a medical residency and a law school solidified it as a permanent feature of the residency program.
University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
Dainius A
DA
Drukteinis
University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
Kelly
K
O'Keefe
University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
Tracy
T
Sanson
University of South Florida/Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
David
D
Orban
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003020:Clothing; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004645:Empathy; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D007697:Kinesics; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014705:Verbal Behavior
graduate education; jurisprudence; legal liability; legislation; malpractice; medical errors; mock trial