Medical Malpractice

While medical liability limits are still a top priority for lobbyists with the AMA and other physician specialty groups, lobbyists are beginning to make peace with the idea that their approach will have to shift as Democrats take power in Congress (and potentially the White House). Historically, Democratic lawmakers haven't been terribly sympathetic when it comes to tort reform efforts, and nothing suggests that the upcoming session is going to be any different. While …

In the 1970s, aviation accident investigators realized, by listening to black box recordings, than many airplane accidents were caused by a lack of communication in the cockpit. Likewise, a breakdown in communication between surgeon and staff often leads to devastating medical errors. And so, using techniques first employed by cockpit crews, some Chicago-area hospitals are having their staff undergo specialized training to help surgical teams improve communication and avoid errors. Such …

Good news for Colorado doctors: Physicians' malpractice insurance premiums in the state remained flat or dropped during 2006. Overall, Colorado doctors paid an average of 2.9 percent more in malpractice premiums. Going forward, meanwhile, some insurers are dropping rates. Medical malpractice insurer the Doctor's Company, the second largest liability insurer in the state, announced that its rates will fall an average of 6.7 percent in 2007. Another major Colorado insurer, COPIC, said that …

Researchers at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) are kicking off a program designed to improve drug therapy and lower costs for Medicaid patients diagnosed with cancer, mental health issues and HIV. Over the next two years, SCCP will hire and deploy a team of clinical pharmacist educators, whose job will be to work with physicians to fine-tune these patients' drug regimen. SCCP was awarded $2 million from the state's Department of Health and Human Services to launch the …