American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 203, Issue 3 , Pages 203.e1-203.e7 , September 2010

A new approach to professional liability reform: placing obligations of stakeholders ahead of their interests

  • Judith L. Chervenak, MD, JD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
  • ,
  • Frank A. Chervenak, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
  • ,
  • Laurence B. McCullough, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Received 23 December 2009 ,Revised 31 January 2010 ,Accepted 5 March 2010.

References 

  1. Anderson BL, Hale RW, Salsberg E, Schulkin J. Outlook for the future of the obstetrician-gynecologist workforce. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;199:88.e1–88.e8
  2. Young T. Presidential address: human error, patient safety and the tort liability crisis; the perfect storm. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;193:506–511
  3. Chervenak FA, McCullough LB. Neglected ethical dimensions of the professional liability crisis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004;190:1198–1200
  4. Lumalcuri J, Hale RW. Medical liability: an ongoing nemesis. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;115:223–228
  5. Studdert DM, Mello MM, Brennan TA. Medical malpractice. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:283–292
  6. Rafal RB. A doctor's plan for legal industry reform. Wall Street Journal. Sept. 3, 2009;http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204731804574387021307651050.htmlAccessed Jan. 31, 2010
  7. Conason RL, Pegalis SE. Avoidable brain damage and medical liability. New York Law J. April 22, 2009;http://www.pegalisanderickson.com/pdf/070040941PegalisE.pdfAccessed Jan. 31, 2010
  8. Freeman RE. Strategic management: a stakeholder approach. Boston, MA: Pitman; 1984;
  9. Hall RT. An introduction to healthcare organizational ethics. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000;
  10. Chervenak FA, McCullough LB. An ethical framework for identifying, preventing, and managing conflicts confronting leaders of academic health centers. Acad Med. 2004;79:1056–1061
  11. Siegal G, Mello MM, Studdert DS. Adjudicating severe birth injury claims in Florida and Virginia: the experience of a landmark experiment in personal injury compensation. Am J Law Med. 2008;34:489–533
  12. Keeton WP, Dobbs DB, Keeton RE, Owens DG. Prosser and Keeton on the law of torts. 5th ed.. St Paul, MN: West Publishing; 1984;
  13. Evolution of the US tort system. http://:www.injuryboard.com/topic/evolution-of-the.aspxAccessed Jan. 31, 2010
  14. Clinton HR, Obama B. Making patient safety the centerpiece of medical liability reform. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:2205–2208
  15. Gallagher TH. A 62-year-old woman with skin cancer who experienced wrong-site surgery: review of medical error. JAMA. 2009;302:669–677
  16. Localio AR, Lawthers AG, Brennan TA, et al. Relation between malpractice claims and adverse events due to negligence: results of the Harvard malpractice study III. N Engl J Med. 1991;325:245–251
  17. Maxfield D, Grenny J, McMillan R, et al. Silence kills, the seven crucial conversations for healthcare, vital smarts and American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (Survey results). http://:www.Silencekills.comAccessed Sept. 21, 2009
  18. Gawande A. Complications, a surgeon's notes on an imperfect science. In: New York: Henry Holt & Co; 2007;p. 65
  19. CNNMoney.com Curbing medical lawsuits: what Obama really means. (9/11, Liberto, J quoting Linda Lipsen, lobbyist for the AAJ) http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/11/news/economy/obama_medical_malpractice/index.htmAccessed April 23, 2010
  20. Physician's Insurers Association of America. Physician's Insurers Association of American Data Sharing Project. http://www.piaa.us/Home/AM/ContentManagerNet/HomePages/PIAA_1504_20081105T113918HomePage.aspx?Section=HomeAccessed April 23, 2010
  21. Tenuto v Lederle Laboratories, Richmond Supreme, March 20, 2009, Judge Joseph Maltese, 90 NY2d 606, 687 NE2d 1300 (NY 1997).
  22. American Medical Association code of medical ethics, opinion 8.12–patient information. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion812.shtmlAccessed Dec. 23, 2009
  23. Block AL. Disclosing of adverse outcome and apologizing to the injured patient. ACLM In:  Ficina S,  Firestone M editor. Legal medicine. 7th ed.. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier; 2007;p. 280
  24. McDonnell WM, Guenther E. Narrative review: do state laws make it easier to say “I'm sorry?”. Ann Intern Med. 2008;149:811–815
  25. Kraman SS, Hamm G. Risk management: extreme honesty may be the best policy. Ann Intern Med. 1999;131:963–967
  26. Harris Interactive, Fear of litigation study, the impact of medicine. (prepared for Common Good). April 11, 2002, p. 9. The effects of law on health care, compiled by Common Good http://commongood.org/assets/attachments/68.pdfStudy number 15780. Accessed April 23, 2010
  27. Nicholas P. Medical malpractice reform: Barack Obama plan to reduce lawsuits earns few backers. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-health-obama-0917-0918sep18,0,5029030.storyAccessed Jan. 31, 2010
  28. AAJ statement on White House/HHS medical liability memo. http://www.Justice.org/cps/rde/xchg/justice/hs.xsl/10484.htmSept. 17, 2009;Accessed April 23, 2010
  29. Studdert DM, Mello MM, Gawande AA, et al. Claims, errors, and compensation payments in medical malpractice litigation. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:2204–2233
  30. Doolittle LC. Pre-suit activities and pleadings; medical malpractice litigation. In: Medical Malpractice Litigation. New York, NY: NY State Bar Assoc; 2005;p. A1–A181
  31. Freeman AD, Freeman JM. No-fault cerebral palsy insurance: an alternative to the obstetrical malpractice lottery. J Health Polit Policy Law. 1989;14:707–718
  32. Douglas T. Medical injury compensation: beyond ‘no fault’. Med Law Rev. 2009;17:30–51
  33. Fine RA. The how-to-win trial manual. In: 3rd ed.. Huntington, NY: Juris Publishing; 2005;p. 3
  34. Amon E. Expert witness testimony. Clin Perinatol. 2007;34:473–489
  35. Hand L. Historical and practical conversations regarding expert testimony. Harv Law Rev. 1901;15:40–48
  36. Daubert v Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc, 509 US 579 (1993).
  37. Glater J. Billable hours giving ground at law firms. In: New York Times; Jan. 30, 2009;p. A1
  38. Damages. http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/damages/Accessed Jan. 31, 2010
  39. Quality Interagency Task ForceShalala D, Herman A. Report of the Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force (QuIC) to the President, February 2000. www.quic.gov/report/mederr4.htmAccessed April 23, 2010

 Supported by departmental funds.

 Reprints not available from the authors.

 Cite this article as: Chervenak JL, Chervenak FA, McCullough LB. A new approach to professional liability reform: placing obligations of stakeholders ahead of their interests. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2010;203:203.e1-7.

PII: S0002-9378(10)00310-8

doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.03.012

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 203, Issue 3 , Pages 203.e1-203.e7 , September 2010