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April 2, 2009 NEWSLETTER
Doug Wojcieszak, Founder & Spokesperson
Contact phone/e-mail address: 618-559-8168; doug@sorryworks.net
THIS WEEK'S EDITION:
Reminder: Registration Deadline NEXT TUESDAY (4/7/09) for Teaching and Implementing Disclosure Audio Conference, April 9th, 1pm EDT
Questions from the road
Sorry Works! next public speaking engagement: Cleveland, April 10th
REMINDER: REGISTRATION DEADLINE NEXT TUESDAY (4/7/09) FOR TEACHING AND IMPLEMENTING DISCLOSURE AUDIO CONFERENCE; 1PM EDT ON APRIL 9TH
The registration deadline is drawing near for the April 9th audio conference on teaching and implementing disclosure. Click here for registration information: http://www.sorryworks.net/pdf/audiosw2.pdf.
How do you teach disclosure & apology to your staff and how do you implement disclosure are hot questions in healthcare today. The Sorry Works! Coalition and Stevens & Lee are proud to offer an audio conference "case study" which will provide listeners with insights into how the University of Illinois Medical Center launched a disclosure program and how they train their staff, residents, and students on disclosure & apology.
The disclosure & apology program at the University of Illinois Medical Center has been operating successfully in the tough litigation venue of Cook County, and their successes have been featured recently in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and many other prominent popular and trade publications. In fact, the UI's disclosure program has become a model for other hospitals and insurers to follow and the program's leaders are sought-after speakers. Now you can hear them live in your own office or conference room. Join the audio conference to learn how UI leaders launched their program and hear about the successes they are experiencing. Also, listen in to hear how they train staff, residents, and students on disclosure and apology principles. Indeed, this is a "can't miss" audio conference for all parts of the medical/hospital community, including medical school faculty and personnel.
The speakers for the event include Dr. Tim McDonald, MD, JD, Chief Safety and Risk Officer for Health Affairs at the University of Illinois, and Dr. David Mayer, MD, associate dean for curriculum, director of cardiothoracic anesthesiology, and co-director of the Institute for Patient Safety Excellence (IPSE) at the UIC College of Medicine. CME credits will be provided for attendees of the conference.
You can access registration form by clicking on this link: http://www.sorryworks.net/pdf/audiosw2.pdf.
Thank you and we look forward to you joining us April 9 at 1pm EDT.
QUESTIONS FROM THE ROAD
Last week Sorry Works! made presentations to physicians in Oklahoma. Here are a couple great questions we received:
Interested in a Sorry Works! presentation? Contact doug@sorryworks.net or call 618-559-8168.
Question #1:
"If, for example, we have a $300K injury, we've apologized and admitted fault, and made a fair offer, then what stops the patient/family or plaintiff's attorney from treating this like a lottery ticket What stops them for going to a judge and jury and asking for a million bucks or higher?"
Answer #1:
For certain, sorry works 100% of the time - to make every situation a little bit better. If you have taken the further step of apologizing and accepting responsibility, after due diligence, you did the right thing. This is what can and will impact severity. That is, if the patient/family decide not to accept your fair offer and visit an attorney, who accepts the case, you have taken away the "plus" factor. We have talked many times about anger and/or communication (or lack of it) often being the driver of litigation frequency and severity. However, when you handle the matter professionally and appropriately (you don't avoid the patient and family), the patient and family cannot now go into the courtroom and allege that you avoided them. You are now in a better position than you otherwise would have been. Avoidance often is what angers the patient/family, and the jury, impacting severity. It is important to understand that you will not resolve every circumstance pre-suit, but you will be able to make every circumstance better.
Question #2:
"You say procedure specific informed consent lays the ground work for disclosure, especially disclosure involving adverse event where no error occurred. But some of these procedure specific informed consent documents are several pages...as a busy physician I don't have time to review such a lengthy document with a patient."
Answer #2:
Informed consent, as you know, is a process; it is not a form. The form, however, is your documentation of the informed consent process and information you relayed to the patient; specifically, the known risks of the procedure, or complications. We know that the majority of lack of informed consent claims are coupled with negligence claims, and therefore, by reducing liability risk as to lack of informed consent claims, you can also reduce the risk of negligence claims. To do so, you do need a rigorous informed consent process. It is grounded in ethical roots, is mandated, and is simply the right thing to do. If we are too busy to provide patients with the information they need to make an informed decision, then you are placing yourself at risk. Often times, it just takes an analysis of your informed consent process, with some tweaking, and you will find that procedure-specific forms can work quite well for you and your patients.
SORRY WORKS! NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT: CLEVELAND, APRIL 10TH
To our friends in Northern Ohio who wish to hear Sorry Works! - and encourage others in healthcare, insurance, and law to do the same - Founder Doug Wojcieszak will be speaking at a symposium sponsored by the Case Western Reserve Law School. For details, contact the law school.
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