Although it's a topic no one really wants to talk about, medical malpractice remains an important discussion for medical providers. The crisis of medical litigation which prompted mass exodus of physicians from crisis regions like Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida still exists. For a vascular surgeon practicing in greater Philadelphia Pennsylvania, an experienced surgeon with no cases, who has been practicing for over 5 years can expect to pay a malpractice premium of $60-80,000 There appears to be some plateauing of the number of annual suits in many states. However as anyone who has been through the unsettling process of a plaintiff's claim of negligence; a single experience into this dark realm of our profession is sufficient motivation to learn more about avoiding the situation
Endovascular Today recently dedicated a supplement issue to this topic. It's a must read for any cardiologist, interventional radiologist or vasculcar surgeon performing endovascular and catheter based interventions. Several highlights of the supplement include A Primer on Malpractice Litigation, Expert testimony, How to prepare and a round table discussion which uses an actual case study format.
Particularly interesting is the round table discussion that describes some of the issues of standard of care that are evolving in this fluid environment of evolving technology and skill level. For example, off label use of devices, use of hybrid devices for EVAR and others. Does a poor outcome, indicate malpractice. Noncompliant long term follow up after EVAR. Expert witness variance from state to state
I encourage everyone to consider reading this brief overview that provides a timely resource on Medical Malpractice Litigation
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