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COMPLICATIONS may help avoid legal action.(Practice Trends)
SPOKANE, WASH. -- In this litigious era, it's important for physicians to remember that not every medical complication constitutes a breach of duty, Dr. Abel Torres said at the annual Pacific Northwest Dermatology Conference.
Unwanted results are inevitable in any busy practice, and there are a number of steps physicians can take to prevent medical complications from turning into legal ones, said Dr. Torres, a lawyer and head of the division of dermatology at Loma Linda (Calif.) University.
He offered the mnemonic "COMPLICATIONS" to help physicians remember what to do when things go wrong.
* Candor is the best policy, and the physician should also acknowledge the patient's complaint. "There's nothing that makes people angrier than when you ignore them," Dr. Torres said. "Does that mean you have to show remorse? No, it just means that you have to sympathize, which means you say, 'Look, I understand that you're upset about this. Let's work it out.'"
* Opinions may be based on premature conclusions, so stick to the facts.
* Mitigate damages, making sure that the patient's medical needs are met. This lessens the physician's legal risk and has the added benefit of helping the patient.
* Positive steps are far better than negative ones.
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