TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of a communication-and-resolution program on hospitals’ malpractice claims and costs
AU - Kachalia, Allen
AU - Sands, Kenneth
AU - Van Niel, Melinda
AU - Dodson, Suzanne
AU - Roche, Stephanie
AU - Novack, Victor
AU - Yitshak-Sade, Maayan
AU - Folcarelli, Patricia
AU - Benjamin, Evan M.
AU - Woodward, Alan C.
AU - Mello, Michelle M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Project HOPE— The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
PY - 2018/11/1
Y1 - 2018/11/1
N2 - To promote communication with patients after medical injuries and improve patient safety, numerous hospitals have implemented communication-and-resolution programs (CRPs). Through these programs, hospitals communicate transparently with patients after adverse events; investigate what happened and offer an explanation; and, when warranted, apologize, take responsibility, and proactively offer compensation. Despite growing consensus that CRPs are the right thing to do, concerns over liability risks remain. We evaluated the liability effects of CRP implementation at four Massachusetts hospitals by examining before-and-after trends in claims volume, cost, and time to resolution and comparing them to trends among nonimplementing peer institutions. CRP implementation was associated with improved trends in the rate of new claims and legal defense costs at some hospitals, but it did not significantly alter trends in other outcomes. None of the hospitals experienced worsening liability trends after CRP implementation, which suggests that transparency, apology, and proactive compensation can be pursued without adverse financial consequences.
AB - To promote communication with patients after medical injuries and improve patient safety, numerous hospitals have implemented communication-and-resolution programs (CRPs). Through these programs, hospitals communicate transparently with patients after adverse events; investigate what happened and offer an explanation; and, when warranted, apologize, take responsibility, and proactively offer compensation. Despite growing consensus that CRPs are the right thing to do, concerns over liability risks remain. We evaluated the liability effects of CRP implementation at four Massachusetts hospitals by examining before-and-after trends in claims volume, cost, and time to resolution and comparing them to trends among nonimplementing peer institutions. CRP implementation was associated with improved trends in the rate of new claims and legal defense costs at some hospitals, but it did not significantly alter trends in other outcomes. None of the hospitals experienced worsening liability trends after CRP implementation, which suggests that transparency, apology, and proactive compensation can be pursued without adverse financial consequences.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056276584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0720
DO - 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0720
M3 - Article
C2 - 30395501
AN - SCOPUS:85056276584
SN - 0278-2715
VL - 37
SP - 1836
EP - 1844
JO - Health Affairs
JF - Health Affairs
IS - 11
ER -