Introduction
Every person wants to have a safe system of medication. Thousands of medical errors are made each year that result in patient injuries and even lawsuits against the medical practitioners. However, it is well to appreciate that lawsuits on malpractice against the physicians together with other providers of health care no longer depend solely on the medical treatments. Rather, these lawsuits have become more dependent on how the patient feels concerning how they were treated or mistreated by the healthcare provider or facility ( Kwo, 2013) . Indeed, it may appear to be irrational but it is what takes place and is the reason why healthcare givers need to ensure they take precautionary steps to avoid mistakes that will make them liable to medical negligence.
Establishment of a Good Patient-Healthcare Provider Relationship
A patient expects that the medical provider will offer the best care to them and that is why they go to that healthcare facility or provider rather. Patients also expect that they will be treated with great concern, respect and kindness. It is thus the job of the caregiver to help the patients feel comfortable that is something that many people do not feel when it comes to discussing issues concerning their bodies and health in general ( Kwo, 2013) . Empathy and respect do well to make the patients forthcoming in matters relating to their health, particular ailments and what and how they feel concerning necessary treatments.
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Honest and open communication that is deeply rooted in respect and kindness allows the fostering of positive relationships between the patients and the care-givers. It further allows the physicians to know their patients better and assist the family members of the patients to have a better understanding of the procedures involved and the care that is needed ( Kwo, 2013) . All the aforementioned amounts to earning the trust of patients which is something that will less likely bring a lawsuit to a physician once they have it if at all anything goes south.
Caregivers need be clear and Consistent
It is not enough to show compassion but also to communicate in a clear way and in a manner that relates well with the patients. Most patients do not understand the technical language employed in the field of medicine and as such caregivers need avoid using such terminologies when engaging conversations with the patients ( Kwo, 2013) . Patients will easily understand the common terms that explain medicine issues. It is also imperative to use illustrations as useful tools in helping the patient visualize their respective diagnosis or show how the medical treatment will improve their specific conditions. It is also imperative that the caregiver be consistent in their cause as that same level of care and follow of protocol must be extended to every patient they see.
Having Informed Consent
The healthcare provider should get the informed consent of the patient before they engage them in dialogue regarding the health of the patient and the care they will be giving them. Informed consent means that the healthcare giver will have discussed advantages and risks of the care they will provide and give the patient the chance to discuss all the alternatives ( Kwo, 2013) . Many health care facilities obtain the informed consent by means of a signed agreement completed with enrolment paperwork. It remains a simple task but very important as it can defend the healthcare provider in case of a malpractice case.
Accuracy and Complete Documentation
Physicians and nurses must keep accurate and complete documents in regards to the visits the patients have made to the institution. In fact, proper documentation is enough to break a malpractice lawsuit ( Swanson, 2016) . However, a jury is more likely to side with the patient in an even where there is no documentation presented to back up the healthcare provider and as such the case of negligence will hold. Also, poor documentation does not help in any way. Good and proper documentation that include updated and current charts and records, thorough and specific to the particular kind of care given during every visit can be extremely successful when it comes to supporting the worker in the healthcare field during a case on malpractice ( Swanson, 2016) .
Staying Current
Staying current and in business means that the healthcare provider needs to have their licence maintained through the continued education, training and testing. However, it is appropriate to acknowledge that there is another world of medicine that goes beyond the specialty of a physician with much of it being readily available and accessible to the public ( Swanson, 2016) . It is thus important that the healthcare provider stays informed regarding the industry of healthcare as a whole.
The physician will be in a position to answer various questions that the patients may ask them and as such build their confidence in the healthcare provider (Swanson, 2016). Furthermore, the caregiver will be well-versed and represented in the medical community which is something that the jury will favour as they look through the facts and presentations in regards to a malpractice case.
Preparation
The notion that doctors and medical professionals are distant and rushed is rampant amongst many. However true the notion may be, it is well that one does not compromise the time they give to their patients when preparing them for appointments. The caregivers must do very well to review the files of their patients before the patients arrive for an appointment. It is for the best to make sure that the caregiver is up-to-speed with the condition of the patient as well as their care as much as it is a way of showing and extending courtesy ( Sohn, 2013) . The expression of that level of consideration and time is meaningful to the patients because patients that feel ordinary or treated in a casual manner are more likely to sue the caregiver on grounds of negligence.
Thorough Follow Up on Procedures
The importance of positive relationships between the caregivers and patients cannot be overemphasized. However, despite them being very important, they cannot trump the importance of proper follow up of healthcare procedures in practice ( Sohn, 2013) . There is a reason for setting policies and as such these policies need be followed in order to ensure the provision of the best care. Furthermore, the caregiver needs consistency in their practice as a small or even the tiniest infraction against any policy could lead to serious adverse effects in both the outcome of the treatment and ultimately a lawsuit on grounds of negligence or malpractice ( Sohn, 2013) . Therefore, a physician or healthcare providers must ensure to follow the policies set in their line of work or duty rather as these policies and procedures are amended for the purpose of improving their practice and faculty.
Malpractice Insurance
Caregivers need to ensure they have the right levels of medical malpractice insurance for their specialties. The above affords the healthcare provider a strong and stringent protection in the vent that there is a malpractice lawsuit ( Sohn, 2013) . It is also well that the physician take advantage of the services of risk management that is offered by the medical liability insurance firm.
Avoid Diagnosis over the Phone
It is true that most patients must see the doctor for their problems to be effectively and properly diagnosed and as such the patient and doctor need to see each other face-to-face. Patients can be poor in remembering things or fail to be exact in their reporting of symptoms and thus makes it necessary for them to see the doctor in person to be treated ( Cohen, 2007) . A doctor should really try to avoid making or rather issuing out a prescription over the phone. If at all the doctor or healthcare provider must do so over the phone, then they should ensure that there is proper documentation of the discussion they have engaged in and a contract set with the patient insisting that the patient calls them back as a follow up in regards to the progress of their diseases.
Confidentiality
The rules of privacy insist that information relating to patients must be given directly to the patients and not left with other persons even the family members. The patient must get notification to call back the clinic for results. Every other area in that regards needs be explained to the patients and the decisions properly documented ( Cohen, 2007) . Authorization for another member of the family to view the personal health information of that patient must be in writing before it is approved or accepted rather by the care giver responsible for that particular patient.
Conclusion
It is true that there are many cases of medical negligence or malpractice. However, not every one of these cases holds as true or having backing. The world today is different with lawsuits being dependent on how the patients deem the caregivers to have treated them or mistreated them. Therefore, physicians must ensure to undertake all that is necessary to protect themselves and avoid such kinds of lawsuits that only serve to drain them down. Healthcare providers must adhere to rules, policies and regulations in order to avoid getting into cases of negligence. Moreover, the physicians need to build strong relationships and communicate properly with the patients to be on the safe side.
References
Cohen, W. R., & Schifrin, B. S. (2007). Medical negligence lawsuits relating to labor and delivery: Clinics in perinatology, 34(2), 345-360.
Kwo, E. (2013). Reduce Medical Malpractice Exposure - Ten things a doctor can to do . Covermd.com . Retrieved 8 December 2017, from http://www.covermd.com/resources/TenTipsToAvoidMalpracticeLawsuit.aspx
Sohn, D. H. (2013). Negligence, genuine error, and litigation: International journal of general medicine , 6 , 49.
Swanson, A. (2016). 7 Best Practices for Avoiding a Malpractice Lawsuit : Lock-on Health Professional Liability Insurance . Retrieved 8 December 2017, from http://locktonmedicalliabilityinsurance.com/7-best-practices-avoiding-malpractice-lawsuit/
