Course Description

 

This Professional Liability & Risk Management course is designed for professionals who have the need or desire to improve their understanding of the nuts and bolts of professional liability and how to manage the risk of liability. This course will walk the participants through the legal maze of medical malpractice litigation starting with definitions of standard of care and the elements that must be proved to constitute negligence or medical malpractice. The course will go on to describe associated legal concepts that impact litigation as well as describe alternatives to litigation. We will walk through an actual malpractice case and then discuss practices to mitigate risk of a negligence or malpractice action.

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​Learning Objectives​

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Upon completion, clinicians should be able to:

• Comply with standards of practice, codes of ethics, and state statutes

• Improve clinical decision making by mitigating risk of malpractice action

• Adhere to professional ethics in a manner that improves patient outcomes and reduces risk

• Implement practices that reduce potential conflicts and foster collegiality

• Understand the early signs of boundary problems and ethical dilemmas

• Maintain ethical and clinical integrity by understanding standards and laws that apply to the practice of medicine.

 

Needs Assessment

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More than ninety percent of all litigation occurs in the United States. Over a 20 year career, physicians have a greater than 85% chance of being involved in medical malpractice litigation. The average duration of a medical malpractice case is about two years but can go on for five years or more. Practitioners must take affirmative steps to minimize the risk of litigation. This course explains the legal process in detail and explains best practices for risk mitigation. This course is designed for anyone interested in minimizing their litigation risk or is simply interested in the legal process. Physicians, attorneys, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, residents, and medical students, in particular, may benefit from this educational activity.

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Accreditation Statement

 

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and the Academy of Ethics & Legal Medicine. The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

 

Designation Statement

 

The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 22 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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COURSE LECTURER

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Dr. Richard Kelly (see Faculty Bio) >>>

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