Plaintiff's attorneys share perspectives on patient communication

✍ Scribed by Richard A. Spector

• Book ID: 102350329
• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 441 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1074-4797
• DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.20021

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This article reports that malpractice attorneys representing plaintiffs accept a small percentage of the clients who request legal representation for medical liability claims. Of those cases they do not accept, these attorneys report that a significant motivator for patients seeking legal counsel is poor clinician‐patient communication. They cite poor listening skills; delegation of critical consent communication; failure to share timely information with colleagues and nursing personnel; failure to have meaningful, empathetic conversations when adverse outcomes occur; and defensive behavior when patients seek to learn more by questioning diagnoses and treatment options.