Dear Imaging Center Insider,
In the litigious arena of U.S. healthcare, minimizing exposure to potential lawsuits while striving to deliver high-quality patient care is a balancing act that is carried out thousands of times a day.
According to research presented in today’s Imaging Center Insider Exclusive article, 12% of all medical malpractice lawsuits involve radiologic procedures or radiologists, and 41% of all U.S. radiologists are sued at least once in their careers. Inevitably, as the volume of diagnostic imaging procedures rises, so will claims against practitioners.
One way that radiologists and radiology administrators can protect themselves and their practices is by having a comprehensive informed consent policy in place for procedures conducted at their facilities. Contributing writer Sydney Schuster has researched case law and interviewed radiologists and attorneys throughout the U.S. He offers up their pearls on what elements should be part of an informed consent policy.
If you’re unsure if your informed consent policy covers all the bases, and especially if you’re sure that it does, you’ll want to review Schuster’s article here.
As an Imaging Center Insider, you have access to this story before it is made available to our other members.
While you’re stopping by, be sure to take a look at the USCS Radiology Service Tracker. This month’s Service Tracker reviews repair charges for mammography, portable C-arms, portable x-ray, rad/fluoro, and radiographic equipment from 1999-2003. Previous editions of this feature have looked at the costs of ultrasound transducers, x-ray and image intensifier tubes, and MR and CT maintenance labor rates. Point your browser here to access this exclusive information.
