Malpractice Cure

An apple a day keeps the doctor away--but what wards off lawyers? If you're a doctor, the answer is sound legal education. The trouble is that most physicians don't have it, and many of them get sued. The rate of malpractice lawsuits has recently skyrocketed, and the corresponding rise in malpractice insurance premiums is a burden many doctors cannot bear. According to some estimates, malpractice costs in the United States have increased by an average of 12% every year since 1975.

Now, there's preventative medicine for doctors. In The Malpractice Cure. A physician can be sued because he didn't call a patient who skipped a follow-up. Some doctors end up in court because their notes differ slightly from a nurse's report. Doctors can be sued for forgetting to remind patients to return if their symptoms persist. It's the simplest errors that can land a doctor in court, and McCarthy explains the most common oversights.

Unlike other books for doctors that concentrate solely on safe medical care, The Malpractice Cure explains the habits of doctors and their office policies that all but the most litigious patients ignore. And, if the worst happens, readers will find a special section on what to do when you get sued. Whether they work in hospitals or private offices, and no matter their medical specialty, doctors have much to learn from clients of Mr. McCarthy who should have known better.