title: Medical Malpractice: Reform for Today's Patients and Clinicians.
abstract: The current system of medical malpractice does a poor job of serving the best interests of physicians or patients. Economic and societal forces are shifting the nature of health care from the individual physician to a system of health care professionals, characterized by accountable care organizations. In particular, more physicians are employed, quality and outcomes are routinely measured, and reimbursement is moving to value-based purchasing. Medical malpractice likewise needs to transition to a new model that is consistent with the modern era of patient-centered care. Collective accountability, the concept that patient care is the responsibility of all the members of the health care organization, requires malpractice reform that reflects a systems-based practice of medicine. Enterprise liability, coupled with medical error communication and resolution programs, provides the legal framework necessary for the patient-centered practice of medicine in today's environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa. Electronic address: jastamm@geisinger.edu.
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa.
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Korzick
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beech
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pa.
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D060866:Accountable Care Organizations; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice; D019300:Medical Errors; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States
keywords: Accountable care organization; Collective accountability; Communication and resolution program; Enterprise liability; Malpractice