Healthcare providers face professional liability issues daily and strive to mitigate the risks to thrive and prosper. The healthcare industry is among the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. This industry indeed generates enormous profits, but it’s also true that liabilities can threaten these profits and compromise healthcare providers’ ability to serve patients. Indeed, many healthcare liability issues can escalate to cause professional and management liability problems.
Professional Liability That Healthcare Providers Must Understand
Healthcare providers must know these risks — especially the following four liabilities.
Professional and Management Liability from Negligence
A significant risk in the healthcare industry is the emergence of professional liability due to negligence. According to research, there is a considerable shortage of healthcare professionals, which can have unfortunate repercussions for the quality of patient care. When there aren’t enough nurses to adequately care for patients, some essential care tasks may fall by the wayside. When this results in a negligence claim, it’s a massive liability for facilities and providers. Facilities must make every effort to recruit enough providers to prevent this possibility.
Improper Training and Protocols
Healthcare facilities must also consider the importance of training when addressing and combatting the most common risks in the healthcare setting. Unfortunately, many providers receive training that aligns differently from best practices. Similarly, many facilities maintain protocols — often informal, unwritten rules — that compromise patients’ quality of care. Healthcare providers must take the initiative to recognize these issues and fight against improper training. Doing so is the only way to mitigate liabilities that emerge from such mistakes.
Allegations of Unsafe Work Conditions
Many healthcare facilities must also contend with allegations of unsafe conditions from patients and staff members. Staff members may allege they are working in unsafe conditions, for example, if they do not have the necessary support or equipment to perform their job adequately. It’s imperative, then, for healthcare facilities to provide these resources. Similarly, patients may allege their conditions are unsafe if they do not receive the appropriate care. To address this, providers must carefully document their actions and ensure that they consistently tend to all of their patients’ needs.
Insufficient Professional and Management Liability Insurance
If a healthcare provider does not have the proper professional and management liability insurance, this is a liability in and of itself. Facilities and independent healthcare providers need insurance that covers professional liability for healthcare providers. Without this coverage, a facility may face expenses from litigation or other costly damages resulting from common liabilities. The right healthcare insurance policy will cover risks such as these and ensure that providers can care for patients without worrying about the threat of liabilities.
